'Russia must explain itself': German authorities say Navalny was poisoned with Novichok group poison

Politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned in Russia with a nerve agent similar in composition to Novichok. This is stated in a press release from the German government, writes «Medusa».

Photo: Shutterstock

The presence of traces of poison in Navalny's body was shown by tests carried out by a special laboratory of the Bundeswehr at the request of doctors from the Charite clinic, where Navalny is located.

"Alexei Navalny was the victim of a chemical attack in Russia," the statement said.

The German authorities said they would inform about the research results of the partners in the EU and NATO, as well as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

As the DW, the Russian ambassador to Berlin was summoned to the German Foreign Ministry in connection with the poisoning of Navalny. This was stated by German Foreign Minister Heiko Mas at a joint press conference with German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Wednesday, September 2. The heads of both departments strongly condemned the poisoning of the Russian.

Berlin called on the Russian authorities to clarify and investigate the story of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.

“We call on the Russian government to explain itself in connection with the incident,” the German Cabinet of Ministers said in a statement.

Angela Merkel's statement

Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel made an official address. «Medusa» gives the full text of her speech":

"Ladies and Gentlemen!

This afternoon, the Minister of Finance, the Vice-Chancellor, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Justice and the head of the Federal Chancellor's department received new information concerning Alexei Navalny, and discussed how we will proceed with this information.

We have already informed you in writing about this in the afternoon. This is overwhelming information about an attempt with the help of poison to kill one of the main oppositionists in Russia, and therefore it is important for me to once again express my position to you.

Mr. Navalny has been in Berlin for treatment since August 22. For humanitarian reasons and following the wishes of his family, we made it possible to transport him to Germany.

The Charite Clinic has commissioned toxicologists from the Bundeswehr to examine Mr Navalny's medical samples. Now the special laboratory of the Bundeswehr has made a clear conclusion. Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack using a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. This poison, without any doubt, is present in the samples.

Therefore, it is clear that Alexei Navalny was the victim of a crime. He should have been silenced, and I condemn this, including on behalf of the entire federal government, in the strongest terms.

On the subject: How Navalny was poisoned: how do such poisons affect the body

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sympathy to Alexei Navalny and his family, which is going through a difficult time. I hope and wish him that he could recover from this assassination attempt.

Earlier I already called the Bundes-President to talk to him about the development of the situation with Navalny. The federal government has also informed the factions in the Bundestag. The federal government will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague.

In the afternoon, the Russian ambassador was informed by the Foreign Ministry of the test results. We expect the Russian government to speak out about this incident. Serious questions arise that only the Russian government can and should answer.

The fate of Alexei Navalny has attracted the attention of the whole world. The world will be waiting for answers. We inform our partners in the EU and NATO about the research results. We will discuss this together and, taking into account the Russian position, we will decide what general reaction will be proportionate.

The crime against Alexei Navalny is directed against the fundamental rights and values ​​that we defend.

Thank you".

US and UK reaction

The United States is "deeply concerned" by the news of the poisoning of politician Alexei Navalny with poison from the Novichok group, and is ready to impose financial sanctions against those responsible. This was stated by the US National Security Council, writes «Medusa».

“We will work with our allies and the international community to bring those responsible from Russia to justice ... and limit funding for their malicious activities,” the council said in a statement.

In turn, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the use of chemical weapons against Navalny "outrageous."

“The Russian government must explain what happened to Mr. Navalny. We, together with our international partners, will ensure the triumph of justice, ”Johnson wrote on Twitter.

On the subject: US imposes sanctions against Russian institutions: what does Navalny have to do with it

Reaction MFA of Russia

The claims of the German authorities about the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with poison from the Novichok group are not supported by facts, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. «Medusa» with reference to Interfax.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on Germany to exchange information about what happened with Navalny, noting that Berlin "neglects the existing mechanisms of cooperation." The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the German Justice Ministry has not yet responded to the request of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office about the situation with Navalny.

The Russian Foreign Ministry admitted that with the help of statements about Navalny, Berlin is trying to substantiate "some pre-prepared 'response measures' that have already been announced earlier."

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• On the morning of August 20, during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) Alexei Navalny became ill on the plane. The flight made an emergency landing in Omsk, where Navalny was hospitalized in the emergency hospital No. 1, in the toxic intensive care unit. There the politician fell into a coma.
• Ex-FSB officer and opposition politician Gennady Gudkov toldwhy Navalny's associates and other politicians call the version of the involvement of the special services a priority, as well as how and with what the oppositionist could have been poisoned.
• August 21, the wife of Alexei Navalny Julia signed permission to transport her husband for treatment in Germany. On the morning of August 22, Navalny taken by plane to Berlin... He is still in a coma.
• Clinic Charité, where Navalny was taken, confirmed the assumptions about his poisoning... Clinical studies have indicated a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors. The exact name of the poison is still unknown.
• Transportation of an opposition politician to Germany on a special medical plane paid for by Russian businessman Boris Ziminwho now lives in the United States.
• In the United States Department of Commerce сообщилиthat Washington has good reason to believe that the research institutes (SRIs) of the Russian Defense Ministry are involved in the development of chemical and biological weapons.
• The Novichok substance appeared in the high-profile case of the Skripal family. On March 4, 2018, ex-GRU officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, Britain. They were taken to hospital in critical condition. The police found that they were poisoned nerve agent. About 20 people were poisoned, including the policeman who first visited the scene and the house of Skripal. On the fact of poisoning a case of attempted murder.
• After investigating, Britain concluded that the nerve agent of the new generation of the group called “Novice” was used for the poisoning. Since no country other than Russia had access to this substance, London declared that Russia was most likely responsible for the attempt.
• Investigation UK accused of attempted murder of Petrov and Boshirovcalling them employees of the GRU. Russia denied these allegations, and President Vladimir Putin said that the suspects were civilians.
• Then suspects gave an interview to Russian journalists, said they visited Salisbury to “look at the cathedral”.
• After poisoning Scripal USA have introduced a package restrictions against Russia, which entered into force on August 27.
• In June 2020, it became known that the Skripali secretly moved from Britain to another country.

Read also on ForumDaily:

US imposes sanctions against Russian institutions: what does Navalny have to do with it

Transportation of Navalny to Germany was paid by a US resident

Berlin clinic confirmed Navalny's poisoning: serious consequences are possible

Navalny began to be treated in Germany: what is known at the moment

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