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yesChancellor Angela Merkel spoke very clearly about the proven poisoning of Alexei Navalnyj. “The information about the attempted poisoning of one of the main Russian opposition figures is shocking,” Merkel said in Berlin on Wednesday. “I condemn this in the strongest possible terms, also on behalf of the entire federal government.” Navalnyj was the victim of a crime and they wanted to silence him.
“We hope that the Russian government will agree to this process,” Merkel said. “Very serious questions arose that only the Russian government can and should answer. Navalnyj’s fate has attracted global attention, says Merkel. “The world will wait for answers.” The crime against Navalnyj is directed “against the fundamental values and rights that we defend”.
Unmistakable request from the federal government
By late afternoon, the German government had already announced that it no longer had doubts that Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalnyj had been poisoned with a neurotoxin from the Novichok group. He urged the Russian government to explain the incident. Obviously, the federal government is considering a coordinated European response to the incident.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also condemned the case “in the strongest way.” “Russia itself should have a great interest in good relations with its neighbors in Europe. Now is the time to make a decisive contribution. “
The Russian ambassador had been summoned by the Foreign Ministry due to the new findings. “Once again, the federal government’s request to fully and transparently clarify the background of this now proven poisoning of Alexej Navalnyj was unequivocally sent to him,” Maas said.
Meanwhile, Russia has harshly criticized Germany’s approach to the Navalnyj investigation. “Public statements out loud are preferred,” the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Wednesday, according to Russian agencies. “The existing legal cooperation mechanisms are completely neglected.”
The Kremlin also commented on the case. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskow, stressed, however, that Moscow could not “react in a qualified way” to the Berlin declaration at this time. Russia is ready to work with the German authorities, he confirmed. The Moscow Prosecutor General’s Office had already sent an official request, but it was not answered. Doctors from Moscow and Omsk also offered to exchange data. According to Peskov’s account, there was no reaction to this either. “If the real objective remains a thorough investigation by law enforcement agencies involving medical organizations, which we strongly insist on, we call on our partners to cooperate fully and exchange information,” said the Department of State.
According to the federal government, at the behest of the Berlin Charité, where Navalnyj has been treated since August 22, a special laboratory of the Bundeswehr carried out a toxicological test on samples from the sick person: “This provided unequivocal evidence of a Chemical nerve agent of the Novitschok group planned. “
After the results were announced, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz spoke with the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Justice, Defense and the head of the Federal Chancellery and “agreed on additional steps” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
In its communication, the German government further states that it is “an alarming fact that Alexei Navalnyj was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia.”
It was also said that Germany’s partners in the EU and NATO would be informed of the results of the investigation through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; it would then “discuss an appropriate joint reaction with the partners in light of the Russian agreement.” The federal government also wants to contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and inform them of the facts.
Navalny’s condition remains dire
Alexei Navalnyj fell suddenly into a coma on a Russian domestic flight on August 20 and was initially treated at a hospital in Omsk, Siberia. At the urging of his family, he was taken to the Charité in Berlin. Doctors there have already assumed poisoning in an initial finding without being able to determine exactly the toxin.
On Wednesday evening, the Berlin Charité announced that Navalnyj’s condition remained serious. However, the symptoms of cholinesterase inhibition caused by proven poisoning are decreasing more and more. The reason for this is a gradual regeneration of cholinesterase activity. “Alexei Navalnyj will continue to be treated in an intensive care unit and mechanically ventilated,” said the Charité. A longer course of the disease can be expected. Long-term consequences of severe poisoning cannot be ruled out.
