German govt on Navalny, Lukashenko's inaguration

A spokesman for the German government on Wednesday said that they were "relieved" that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's condition improved suffiently for him to be released from hospital.

Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin that it was very encouraging to learn that Navalny completed his inpatient treatment.

Navalny has been released from a Berlin hospital after more than a month's treatment for poisoning, with doctors now believing that it's possible he could see a “complete recovery” from the Soviet-era nerve agent, the hospital said Wednesday.

Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is Putin’s most visible opponent, 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 he was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok - findings corroborated by labs in France and Sweden.

Seibert referred queries about Navalny's whereabouts and plans to Navalny and his team.

Navalny will remain in Germany for the time being to continue his rehabilitation, his team said.

Seibert once again rejected the suggestions that German authorities are responsible for clearing up what happened to Navalny.

He said the "crime was committed in Russia" and appealed to Russia to "explain itself on this crime".

The German chancellor's spokesman also commented on President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, who assumed his sixth term of office Wednesday during an inauguration ceremony that officials did not announce in advance.

The ceremony comes after after weeks of mass protests against the authoritarian leader's reelection, which opposition activists maintain was rigged.

Opponents in Belarus, including the candidate who placed a distant second in the country's Aug. 9 presidential election, and representatives of European governments said the absence of public involvement in the inauguration only proved that the authoritarian Lukashenko lacked a valid mandate to continue leading.

Seibert said even after the ceremony, Lukashenko "cannot claim democratic legitimisation".

He renewed calls for Lukashenko to end the use of "brutal force" against peaceful demonstrators.