Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent and that there is an unequivocal proof.
Russia's opposition politician poisoned
Chancellor Merkel stated that Navalny was a victim of attempted murder, and the world would look to Russia for answers. Navalny was flown to Berlin after he fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August, and he remains in a coma.
Navalny's team says he was poisoned on President Vladimir Putin's orders. The Kremlin has denied the allegation.
The Kremlin spokesman called on Germany for a full exchange of information, and foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complained the Novichok allegations were not backed up by solid evidence.
In 2018, a Novichok nerve agent was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom. While Skripal survived, his daughter died in the hospital.
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The UK accused the military intelligence of Russia of poisoning Navalny. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the attack and called it outrageous.
The government in Berlin released results of toxicology tests carried out at a military laboratory. According to Chancellor Merkel, there are now serious questions that only the Russian government can and must answer. She added that someone tried to silence Navalny.
Chancellor Merkel said that Germany's Nato and EU partners had been informed of the results of the investigation. Both Nato and the EU would decide on an appropriate response, and they will base it on the reaction of Russia.
Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's wife and Russia's ambassador to Germany, would also be informed of the findings, according to Berlin's government, as reported by CNN.
The European Union has demanded a transparent investigation by the Russian government. A statement read that those responsible must be brought to justice.
Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also called for an inquiry in a tweet, while the US National Security Council said the suspected poisoning was completely reprehensible.
An NSC spokesman said that they would work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable for the poisoning of Navalny.
President Putin does not say the name Alexei Navalny out loud. It is an attempt to diminish his political significance, but after everything he went through, from police detentions, endless prosecutions, and massive fines that he faced over the years, Navalny's impact is more significant than ever.
Navalny's had made some enemies. His anti-corruption investigations have targeted some people, including President Vladimir Putin. It is possible that there is someone who wants to resolve the "Navalny problem" for good.
What happened to Navalny?
Navalny fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. His supporters believed poison was slipped in his tea at Tomsk airport.
The flight of the Putin critic was diverted to Omsk, where doctors treated him for three days before he was transferred to the Charite hospital in Berlin, as reported by CNBC.
The Kremlin says Russian doctors administered atropine. Atropine can be used to treat the effects of nerve agents, but there was no evidence of poisoning found.
Navalnaya said that she feared Russian doctors had delayed her husband's transfer as authorities were trying to wait for evidence of any chemical substance to disappear.
According to the doctors, Navalny's condition continues to improve, but he remains in an intensive care unit on a ventilator.
