Russia announces preliminary probe into Navalny's illness

Russian police on Thursday anunced a preliminary probe into circumstances of sudden illness of opposition leer Alexei Navalny, who fell into a coma last week following a suspected poisoning and amid growing pressure from Western officials to investigate.

According to a statement released Thursday by a Siberian branch of Russia's Interior Ministry, investigators in Siberia have been working on “establishing all circumstances of incident," conducting forensic studies and collecting items “that may have probative value."

Navalny, an opposition politician and corruption investigator who is one of President Vlimir Putin’s fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia last Thursday and was taken to a hospital in Siberian city of Omsk after plane me an emergency landing.

Over weekend, he was transferred to Charité hospital in Berlin , where doctors found indications of “cholinesterase inhibitors” in his system. But hospital in German capital hasn't yet identified a specific substance.

Found in some drugs, pesticides and chemical nerve nts, cholinesterase inhibitors act by blocking breakdown of a key chemical in body, acetycholine, which transmits signals between nerve cells.

His allies insist he was deliberately poisoned and say Kremlin was behind it, accusations that officials deunced as “empty ise.”

Navalny's team submitted a request to Russia's Investigative Committee, demanding authorities launch a criminal probe on charges of an attempt on life of a public figure, last week, but officials appeared reluctant to start an investigation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday he saw grounds for a criminal case until cause of politician’s condition was fully established.

Interior Ministry's statement Thursday didn't clarify when preliminary probe — an inquiry to determine wher a criminal investigation should be launched — h started.

Navalny ally Ivan Zhdav said that probe should have been launched Aug. 20, right after politician's team submitted a request. “Open a criminal case,” Zhdav said in a tweet Thursday.

anuncement about inquiry comes after multiple Western and European officials — including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — called upon Russia to start a full and transparent investigation into Navalny's condition.

On Wednesday night, politician's illness was discussed in a phone conversation between Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

According to Kremlin's reout of call, Putin pointed out that “premature and unfounded accusations” were unacceptable and underscored Russia's “interest in a thorough and objective investigation of all circumstances of incident.”