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The comments came after doctors treating Navalny in Berlin said that Vladimir Putin’s critic was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent.
The leader of the Russian opposition Alexei Navalny. Image: Facebook.com.
WASHINGTON / LONDON – The White House said on Wednesday it is “deeply concerned” by the confirmation in Germany that Alexei Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s rare outspoken critics, was poisoned in Russia.
“The poisoning of Alexei Navalny is completely reprehensible,” National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said on Twitter, noting that the poison was Novichok, a nerve agent used by Russia in the past.
“We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence takes, and restrict funding for their evil activities,” he said.
“The Russian people have the right to express their views peacefully without fear of retaliation of any kind, and certainly not with chemical agents.”
UK JOHNSON SAYS RUSSIA SHOULD ‘EXPLAIN’ NAVALNY POISONING
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday it was “outrageous” that the leader of the Russian opposition, Alexei Navalny, had been poisoned with a nerve agent and urged Moscow to “explain” what happened.
“We have seen first hand the deadly consequences of Novichok in the UK,” Johnson said on Twitter, shortly after Germany said Navalny had been poisoned with the highly toxic Soviet-era chemical.
It is outrageous that a chemical weapon was used against Alexey Navalny. We have seen first hand the deadly consequences of Novichok in the UK. The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr. Navalny: we will work with international partners to ensure that justice is served.
– Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 2, 2020
The same type of nerve agent was used in Britain against former double agent Sergei Skripal, in an attack that London blamed on Russia, but Moscow denied any involvement.
“The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr. Navalny – we will work with international partners to ensure justice is served,” Johnson said.
Britain’s Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said in a separate statement that Russia “must tell the truth” about what happened.
“The Russian government has a clear case to answer. It must tell the truth about what happened to Mr. Navalny,” Raab added.
The comments came after doctors treating Navalny in Berlin said that Vladimir Putin’s critic was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent.
The 44-year-old fell ill after boarding a plane in Siberia last month.
He was initially treated at a local hospital before being transferred to Berlin for treatment.
Novichok is a military grade poison that was developed by the Soviet government towards the end of the Cold War.
Skripal was poisoned in the southern England city of Salisbury in March 2018, along with his daughter Yulia.
British authorities said Novichok was used in that attack.
The Skripals survived, but a local woman, Dawn Sturgess, died after coming into contact with the poison that police believe was removed after the attack on the Russians.
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