Russian officials will investigate Navalny’s poisoning — for suspected foreign political interference
At first glance, it would seem that the Russian authorities have acquiesced to demands from world leaders and activists across the country that state officials investigate the apparent assassination attempt against opposition politician Alexey Navalny.
On Tuesday, August 25, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced that the Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption will review the circumstances surrounding Navalny’s poisoning. Unfortunately, for those who want the matter handled as a criminal assault, the Russian government is examining the incident for evidence of foreign political interference.
The committee is being instructed to “analyze what happened in order to determine if this was an attempt by foreign states to damage the health of a Russian citizen with the purpose of creating tensions inside Russia and formulating yet more allegations against our country,” Volodin explained. The Duma’s speaker also mused that statements by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell suggest the involvement of foreign states in Navalny’s illness. (Merkel and Borrell have both demanded an investigation into Navalny’s poisoning, and Borrell has condemned the “alleged attempt” on the Russian politician’s life.)
More on Navalny’s poisoning
- Cholinesterase inhibitors 101: What you need to know about the type of poison used on Navalny
- ‘We saved his life’ The Russian doctors who treated Navalny on his diagnosis, the decision to send him abroad, and more
- Unexamined toxins Activists and journalists are frequently poisoned in Russia but the authorities almost never investigate these attacks. Here are five notorious cases that preceded Alexey Navalny’s recent hospitalization.
- ‘Navalny’s in critical condition’ An interview with Jaka Bizilj, founder of the German non-profit evacuating Alexey Navalny to Berlin
The poisoning of Alexey Navalny
Alexey Navalny became violently ill aboard a flight from Tomsk to Moscow on August 20. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Omsk when Navalny lost consciousness. Local doctors treated him for two days, delaying Navalny’s medical evacuation to Berlin, where doctors subsequently determined that he was poisoned. Navalny remains in a coma.