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- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed that the Kremlin’s Russian opponent Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a chemical neurotoxin from the Novichok group.
- Traces of banned chemicals were found in Navalny’s blood and urine.
- The director general of the OPCW, Fernando Arias, describes the results as “extremely worrying”.
The results of the reference laboratories commissioned by the OPCW were in line with the results already achieved by special laboratories in Germany, Sweden and France, said German Federal Government spokesman Steffen Seibert in Berlin.
According to the information, the government of Germany is currently examining the OPCW report on the analysis. In the coming days there will be a close exchange between the executive board of the supervisory authority and the group of EU partners on the next steps.
Any use of chemical weapons is a serious process and cannot be without consequences.
Representatives also raised concerns at the Executive Council meeting in The Hague. “Any use of a prohibited chemical weapon is of great concern to all,” said the representative of Great Britain. Russia has been asked to investigate the case thoroughly.
Russia: “biased” conclusions
Criticism of the OPCW’s analysis came from Russia. Foreign politician Leonid Sluzki told the Interfax agency that the conclusions were politically biased. “They only confirm what the organizers of the biggest anti-Russian provocation called Navalnys wanted to hear.”
The heads of state and government of the European Union want to revert to the case at their next summit next week. Then there could also be a joint response from the 27 Member States.
