G7 foreign ministers strongly condemn 'confirmed poisoning' of Navalny

The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers strongly condemned the “confirmed poisoning” of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to a statement released by the US State Department. German health authorities confirmed the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Soviet-style nerve agent from the Novichok group, citing toxicological test results.

“We, the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the confirmed poisoning of Alexei Navalny,” the statement read.

The G7 ministers said Germany has briefed them on the fact that clinical and toxicological findings determined Navalny as the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve-agent of the “Novichok” group, a substance developed by Russia. They stated that any use of chemical weapons under any circumstances, whatsoever, is unacceptable and contravenes the international norms prohibiting the use of such weapons.  

“We, the G7 foreign ministers, call on Russia to urgently and fully establish transparency on who is responsible for this abhorrent poisoning attack and, bearing in mind Russia’s commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to bring the perpetrators to justice,” they added.

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The G7 ministers said the attack constitutes a serious threat to those engaged in defending the political and civil freedoms that Russia herself has committed to guarantee. They called on Russia to fulfil its commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adding that they will continue to monitor closely how Russia responds to international calls for an explanation of the “hideous poisoning” of Kremlin critic. 

Navalny out of artificial coma

Meanwhile, Navalny has been removed from a medically-induced coma as his health condition improved. Berlin’s Charité University hospital said in a statement that the Kremlin critic, who fell unconscious during a flight due to alleged poisoning and was transferred to the hospital on August 22, will be gradually taken out of the ventilator support.

“The patient has been removed from his medically induced coma and is being weaned off mechanical ventilation. He is responding to verbal stimuli. It remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning,” the statement read.

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