Alexey Navalny: NATO demands Russia disclose Novichok toxin production program

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization “NATO” asked Russia to reveal its program for the production of the Novichok toxin to international observers, following the poisoning of activist Alexei Navalny.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO members are united in condemning the “horrific” attack, adding that there was “unquestionable evidence” of Novichok’s use against Navalny.

However, Russia rejected the diagnosis presented by doctors in Germany, where he is being treated.

Speaking after an emergency NATO meeting, Stoltenberg said the Kremlin “should cooperate fully with the OPCW in an impartial international investigation.”

He added: “We also ask Russia to provide full disclosure of the Novichok program to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.”

• What is the “Novichok” poison and what are its effects on the human body?

Soviet-era nerve gas was also used to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018. Britain accused Russian military intelligence of carrying out the attack and, as part of a coordinated effort, more than 100 Russian diplomats and spies were expelled from 20 countries. While Russia denied any involvement in the case.

However, Stoltenberg emphasized that the Navalny poisoning, which occurred in Russia and not in a NATO member state, was different from the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter.

• The poisoning of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny is a test for Western countries

He said: “We firmly believe that there is a flagrant violation of international law that prohibits the use of any chemical weapon, so it requires an international response, but I will not think about the exact type of international response now.”

Several high-ranking Russian lawmakers have ignored recent NATO demands.

“Until experts confirm or deny the use of chemicals that are subject to the Chemical Weapons Convention, calls for the participation of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons seem, in my opinion, politicized,” said Konstantin Kosachev. of the Council of the Russian Federation.

Navalny, an anti-corruption activist, has long been the most prominent face of Russia’s opposition to President Vladimir Putin.

Last month he felt a health setback while traveling from Siberia to Moscow. The plane made an emergency landing at Omsk, and Russian officials were convinced to allow it to be taken to Germany two days later.

The Kremlin says it has not seen German data on the state of Navalny and therefore does not accept a diagnosis of the poisoning.

Since the incident, the European Union has required the Russian government to carry out a “transparent” investigation. The US National Security Council also pledged to “work with allies and the international community to hold those involved in Russia accountable.”