Russian opposition leader Navalny lands in Berlin for medical treatment
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny landed in Germany to receive medical treatment for a suspected case of poisoning, his spokesperson said Saturday morning.
“The plane with Alexei has just landed in Berlin,” Kira Yarmysh tweeted.
Navalny fell ill on board a flight to Moscow from Tomsk on Thursday, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in the Siberian city of Omsk. He was taken to a local hospital and was confirmed to be in a coma.
His press secretary Kira Yarmysh stated he had been poisoned “with something mixed into the tea.”
Navalny's team made arrangements to transfer him to the Berlin clinic Charité, the Associated Press wrote. But Russian doctors at the hospital in Omsk initially refused to let Navalny be transferred, saying he was too unstable to be moved.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday they were ready to offer asylum and medical assistance to the Russian opposition activist. The European Commission on Friday also urged Russian authorities to allow the transfer.
Navalny is Russia's most visible opposition leader and long-time critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who runs a foundation to fight corruption in the country. He has been arrested frequently in past years and last year also claimed he was poisoned in an attempt to stop his political work.
Miles Herszenhorn contributed reporting.
