Published 12:20 IST, August 22nd 2020
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny flown to Germany to be treated for suspected poisoning
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on August 22 was flown from Russia to Germany after doctors allowed him to be airlifted for further treatment.
- World News
- 2 min read
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on August 22 was flown from Russia to Germany after doctors allowed him to be airlifted for further treatment. Alexei became suddenly ill on August 20 while he was travelling from the Russian city of Tomsk to Moscow following which the plane had to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where he was treated for suspected poisoning. Alexei's aides allege that he may have been poisoned at the airport, but doctors treating the 44-year-old lawyer said that they found no trace of any toxic substance.
Flown with wife Yulia by his side
According to reports, Alexei was airlifted from Russia at around 8:00 a.m local time from where he was taken to Berlin from treatment. A picture of Alexei being airlifted was posted by his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh on Twitter, where she informed he was lifted into the medical plane and his wife Yulia is with him. The chartered plane for Alexei was reportedly arranged by a German NGO Cinema for Peace. Earlier in the day, Alexei was seen being taken from the hospital to the airport in an ambulance. As per reports, Alexei is still in a coma and was breathing through a ventilator.
Alexei, a former lawyer, and anti-corruption campaigner was moved out of Russia following a massive controversy that lasted for two days. While supporters and relatives of Alexei vouched for the politician to be moved to Germany, doctors denied permission saying that he was very unstable and not in a condition to travel. Kira Yarmysh claimed that doctors had earlier authorised Alexei's movement but laster denied possibly under pressure from Kremlin. Yarmysh had earlier also claimed that doctors had admitted to discovering poison traces in Alexei's blood but later took a U-turn on their position. Meanwhile, Georgy Alburov, a researcher at the politician's Anti-Corruption Foundation, accused doctors of not authorising Alexei's movement, even when a plane with high-quality German doctors and equipment was waiting at the airport, in order to wait for the poison trace to disappear.
Updated 12:19 IST, August 22nd 2020
