Germany approves Russian request to assist in Navalny probe

 Berlin's Justice Ministry has approved a request from Moscow for legal assistance in investigation of poisoning of opposition leer Alexei Navalny, and has tasked state prosecutors with working with Russian authorities, officials said Friday.

Berlin state prosecutors said in a tweet that ir office h been commissioned to provide legal assistance to Russia and information on Navalny's state of health, “subject to his consent.”

office said it would provide furr information on request at this time.

Navalny, most visible opponent of Russian President Vlimir Putin, was flown to Germany two days after falling ill on Aug. 20 on a domestic flight in Russia. German chemical weapons experts have determined that 44-year-old was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve nt, prompting Berlin to demand that Russia investigate case.

He was kept in an induced coma for more than a week as he was treated with an antidote, before hospital officials said Monday his condition h improved eugh for him to be brought out of it.

hospital h comment Friday on his condition, but doctors have t ruled out long-term effects of poisoning.

Kremlin has bristled at calls from Chancellor Angela Merkel and or world leers for Russia has to answer questions in case, denying any official involvement and accusing West of trying to smear Moscow.

Russian authorities have prodded Germany to share evidence that led m to conclude “without doubt” that Navalny was poisoned with a military nerve nt from vichok group, same class of Soviet-era nt that British authorities said was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in 2018.

Germany’s Defense Ministry has said data about Navalny has alrey been provided to Hague-based Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, of which Russia is a member.

Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Friday ncy was best equipped to handle an issue that was “t a bilateral German-Russian problem."

“This is about a crime that took place in Russia with a chemical nerve nt that is internationally prohibited — OPCW is logical point of contact,” he told reporters.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry invited German Ambassor Geza Andreas von Geyr to reaffirm Moscow’s demand for Germany to provide Russian authorities with medical data, including biological materials, results of samples and tests to allow Russian experts to study and check m. Russian doctors previously said y h found sign of Navalny’s poisoning.

move to task Berlin prosecutors to work with Russian investigators came a week after Russia's request for assistance was received by Berlin state Justice Ministry.

Separately, Seibert denied reports that Germany h received a Russian request for permission to send investigators to interview Navalny.