Sobol: Kremlin involved in Navalny illness

Russian opposition leer Alexei Navalny's closest ally said authorities are reluctant to investigate alleged poisoning of politician, insisting he was deliberately poisoned and that Kremlin was behind it.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vlimir Putin’s fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Aug 20 and was taken to a hospital in Siberian city of Omsk after plane me an emergency landing.

Last weekend, he was transferred to Charité hospital in Berlin, where doctors found indications of “cholinesterase inhibitors” in his system.

Lyubov Sobol, a prominent opposition politician and a lawyer at Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said all existing evidence points to Kremlin.

"Simply, body else could do it. Again, method of poisoning is sign of that. Neuroparalytic poison is something that you can't buy at a pharmacy. It's a combat substance. And because of that, y will t investigate it," She told Associated Press on Friday.

So far, Russian authorities appear reluctant to investigate politician’s condition.

Navalny’s team submitted a request last week to Russia’s Investigative Committee, demanding authorities launch a criminal probe on charges of an attempt on life of a public figure and attempted murder, but said re was reaction.

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

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s office said Thursday that a preliminary inquiry launched last week hasn’t found any indication of “deliberate criminal acts committed against” Navalny.

Sobol says while Navalny's condition hasn't prompted big protests in Russia, it has stirred outr brewing re.

"I saw a lot of comments from well-kwn public figures in Russia who have never spoken out for Alexei Navalny before, (but w) spoke ir minds and said that this was outrous, it shouldn't be this way," Sobol said. "It's a turning point."

Even with ir leer in hospital, Navalny's team continues its work on corruption investigations and regional election campaigns in Moscow and dozens of or regions.

Navalny's most recent project, Smart Voting, identifies candidates that are most likely to beat those from Putin's United Russia party and his supporters actively campaign for m.

According to Sobol, team is used to working in his absence - frequently arrested, Navalny has spent more than a year in jail in recent years.

"So we kw how to work without direct orders from Navalny. We understand what we need to do," Sobol said.