German Gov't Claims Putin Critic Navalny was Poisoned with Novichok

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok, a chemical nerve agent, the German government said on Wednesday, alleging that the attack could have been carried out by Russian state agencies, the BBC reports.

The German government condemns the attack and calls on Russia for an immediate explanation.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Navalny was a victim of attempted murder and the world would demand answers from Russia. 

Navalny was flown to Berlin after falling ill on a flight in Siberia last month. He remains in a coma.

The BBC also notes that Merkel met with the ministers to discuss further steps.

"Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complained the Novichok allegations were not backed up by evidence," reads the article.

For the record, on August 20, when returning to Moscow from the city of Tomsk, the Russian dissident and well-known Putin critic fell ill on a plane. The plane was forced to land in the city of Omsk. He was transferred from Omsk Hospital to Berlin for treatment.

A Novichok nerve agent was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018. While they survived, a British woman later died. The UK accused Russia's military intelligence of carrying out that attack.

By Ana Dumbadze  

Source: BBC