Kremlin critic Navalny in stable condition, no serious threat to life: Spokesperson

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is facing no serious threat to life as he remains in a medically-induced coma with ventilator support, said his spokesperson on August 28. Navalny, who fell unconscious during a flight due to alleged poisoning, is currently admitted in Berlin’s Charité University hospital after being airlifted to Germany from the Siberian city of Omsk.

The hospital said in a statement that the Russian leader is in a stable condition and symptoms of poisoning caused by cholinesterase inhibition have reduced. It emphasised that the long-term consequences of the poisoning cannot be predicted as his condition remains serious. The attending physicians are in constant contact with his wife Yulia Navalnaya and the health bulletin was released with her consent, the hospital added.

However, Russia has accused German medics of being too hasty to find a reason for health concerns of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after doctors in Berlin suggested poisoning. The doctors of the Siberian hospital, where Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was brought for treatment for the first time, had claimed no traces on poison. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on August 25 that the doctors from Germany as well Russia diagnosed the condition in a similar way but arrived at different conclusions. He said that the Russian government doesn’t understand the reason for “such a hurry” when the “substance hasn't yet been established”.

Read: Russian Police Launch Preliminary Examination Into Alexei Navalny’s Illness

Read: German Chancellor Angela Merkel Frustrated With Putin As Navalny Lies In Coma: Reports

Call for transparent investigation

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has joined hands with the United States and European Union to call for a “transparent investigation” into the alleged poisoning. Taking to Twitter, Johnson said that Navalny’s poisoning has shocked the world and emphasised the need for a full and transparent probe into the incident. 

Earlier, the European Union had strongly condemned the apparent attempt on Navalny’s life after the preliminary test results from the Charité hospital in Berlin indicated poisoning. The Charité hospital said in a statement on August 24 that there is clinical evidence suggesting an “intoxication through a substance belonging to the group of cholinesterase inhibitors.”

Read: UK PM Boris Johnson Demands 'transparent' Probe Into Navalny's Suspected Poisoning

Read: Navalny Ally Says Putin Could Have Authorized 'poisoning'; Kremlin Trashes Allegation