Machine with Navalny after landing in Berlin-Tegel
Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpaAccording to his spokeswoman, the possibly poisoned Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny arrived in Berlin on a special flight for treatment. The 44-year-old landed at Tegel Airport on Saturday morning, as announced by his spokeswoman Kira Jarmysch and the film producer Jaka Bizilj. According to the website "Flightradar24", the plane reached Tegel Airport at 8:47 a.m.
Navalny collapsed on a domestic flight in Russia on Thursday and has since been in a coma in a clinic in Omsk. After arriving in Berlin, his condition was stable, according to SPIEGEL information. The organization "Cinema for Peace" organized the rescue aircraft with German doctors on board that brought Navalny to Berlin. He is to be treated in the Charité University Hospital.
His supporters assume that an attack with poisoned tea was carried out on Navalny. The Russian doctors declared that Navalny suffered from a metabolic disease and initially described him as not transportable. It was only after hours of back and forth that the doctors in Omsk dropped their concerns about being transported to Germany on Friday. His wife Julia flew with him, it was said.
"Many thanks to everyone for the support," wrote Nawalny's spokeswoman Jarmysch after departure. "The struggle for Alexei's life and health is only just beginning, and there is still a lot to be done. At least the first step has now been taken."
"As if terrorists had released a hostage"
Other members of the opposition were also relieved. "I'm so relieved that terrorists had released a hostage after long negotiations," wrote the well-known liberal politician Ilya Yashin, who has also been a long-time companion of Navalny. "I hope that this time wasted for nothing and again nothing will not cost Alexei his life."
Navalny is one of the most prominent critics of President Vladimir Putin. In recent years he has consistently denounced corruption and has been repeatedly detained as an organizer of protests against the government.
In 2014, Charité doctors also treated Ukrainian ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for chronic back and walking problems. Tymoshenko, who was released at the time, had suffered several herniated discs in prison. The Charité is Germany's largest university clinic.
pad / dab / dpa / AFP / Reuters