Alexej Navalny at an appointment in the office of the Anti-Corruption Foundation in Moscow (2019)
Photo:Alexander Zemlianichenko / dpa
At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Angela Merkel traveled to his residence Fort de Brégançon on the Mediterranean for talks. The meeting was overshadowed by the news that the Russian government critic Alexej Navalny is seriously ill - and may have been poisoned. Merkel and Macron expressed concern about the condition of the opposition politician.
She was "very upset" by the news of the illness, said Merkel after meeting Macron and offered medical help in a German hospital. Navalny's condition is worrying.
The Chancellor also urged the case to be clarified as soon as possible. "What is very, very important now is that it is urgently clarified: How did this situation come about? We will insist on that," said Merkel. She added, "What you hear so far are very unfavorable circumstances. And that has to be made very, very transparent." The EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter that if a poison attack was confirmed, those responsible would have to be "held accountable".
Navalny is in a coma after being poisoned in a hospital in Omsk, Siberia. His spokeswoman Kira Jarmysch had announced that the 44-year-old was connected to a ventilator and was unconscious. She is certain that he was deliberately poisoned. The opposition was on research in Siberia. He was fine before leaving, said Jarmysch. At the airport in Tomsk he had another cup of black tea. During the flight, he then felt uncomfortable and lost consciousness while on board. The plane on the way to Moscow then landed in Omsk because of the emergency. Then Navalny was taken to the hospital. The team there also alerted the police, said Jarmysch.
There was no clear information on Nawalny's health in the evening. A treating doctor in Omsk initially confirmed that Navalny was in a "serious but stable condition". He gave no details about the exact diagnosis. "Poisoning is a possibility." According to the Interfax agency, in the evening the doctor merely stated that there was no evidence of a stroke, heart attack or infection with the corona virus. The situation has stabilized significantly since arriving at the hospital, it said. "What we have achieved so far is a cautious good sign for the moment," said deputy chief physician Anatoly Kalinichenko.
Hospital in Omsk, Siberia, where the Russian government critic Navalny is currently being treated
Photo: Evgeniy Sofiychuk / dpaNawalny's team now wants to ensure that he is flown to Germany and treated at the Berlin Charité. There is already an offer of help from Berlin. According to a report by the AFP news agency, an ambulance is supposed to take off from Berlin-Tegel Airport to Russia during the night to bring Navalny to Germany.
"I hope and of course I wish that he can recover as soon as possible," said Chancellor Merkel at her meeting with Macron. The French President also offered help. "We are ready to give Alexej Navalny and his relatives all the support they need in terms of health, asylum and protection." One is extremely concerned about the situation. "We will be extremely vigilant in the aftermath and in the investigations that are being carried out."
Protests for Navalny in several cities
Navalny is the leading head of the liberal opposition in Russia and one of the most famous Russian government critics. In recent years he has repeatedly organized nationwide protests and, through his foundation, uncovered cases of corruption. He is currently touring Russia to prevent Vladimir Putin's supporters from being elected in regional elections in September. Most recently, the controversial head of state of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, accused him of being behind the mass protests in his country.
Meanwhile, people have gathered in several Russian cities to express their solidarity with Navalny. A few dozen people are protesting in Moscow. They are individual protests, the people stand individually. This type of protest is actually allowed, but video footage shows that the police are taking action against the demonstrators. Individuals also gathered in front of the clinic in Omsk to protest.
Icon: The mirrorasc / heb / dpa / AFP