Alexei Navalny: poisoned Russian opposition figure ‘able to get out of bed’

Alexei Navalny, a poisoned Russian opposition figure, was removed from ventilation and can get out of bed, the Berlin hospital treating him reported.

Navalny collapsed on a flight from Siberia on August 20, and tests have shown that he was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent.

He was transferred to the Charité hospital in the German capital.

His team alleges that he was poisoned on the orders of President Vladimir Putin; the Kremlin denies any involvement.

The Charité hospital gave the update in a tweet on Monday. He said he continued to improve and that “he is currently mobilizing and can get out of bed for short periods of time.”

Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov canceled his trip to Berlin for talks, scheduled for Tuesday, Russian media reported.

They quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying the cancellation followed a change in the schedule by their German counterparts.

The latest news about Navalny also came as the results of Russia’s council elections were announced.

The pro-Kremlin United Russia party won a clear victory overall.

The German government has said that laboratories in France and Sweden have now reconfirmed German tests showing that the poison used on Mr. Navalny was Novichok.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he did not expect his country to be criticized now that the confirmations had been made.

He was referring to the Kremlin’s response to the tests. Russia has said Germany has not provided details.

Following confirmation from the French laboratory, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Putin by phone.

“The president expressed his deep concern about the criminal act perpetrated against Alexei Navalny and the imperative that the circumstances and responsibilities of this assassination attempt be clarified, without delay,” Macron’s office said.

Putin told him it was “inappropriate” to make such baseless accusations, the Kremlin said, repeating his call for Germany to hand over all the details of the medical tests.

The Kremlin has said it is conducting its own investigations into the matter and will not be pressured by other countries.

Navalny is an anti-corruption activist who has long been the most prominent face of the opposition to President Putin.

Navalny’s supporters believe they added tea to him at Tomsk airport on August 20. He became ill during the flight and the plane made an emergency landing in Omsk. Russian officials were persuaded to allow him to be flown to Germany two days later.

A nerve agent from the Novichok group was also used to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England. They both survived, but a local woman, Dawn Sturgess, died after coming into contact with the poison.

Britain accused Russia’s military intelligence of carrying out that attack. Twenty countries expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats and spies. Moscow denied any involvement.