News / Russia

Kremlin says ‘no answer’ yet from Berlin on Navalny episode

Wednesday, 02 September 2020 6:09 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 02 September 2020 6:09 PM ]

Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny takes part in a rally in Moscow, Russia, February 29, 2020. (File photo by Reuters)

Russia has censured Berlin for its failure to cooperate with Moscow on the case of Alexei Navalny, saying the German narrative that the Russian opposition figure was poisoned with a nerve agent lacked evidence.

The 44-year-old Russian opposition figure was taken to Germany for medical treatment on August 22. He had been taken to a hospital in Russia’s Siberian city of Omsk after collapsing during a domestic flight from the city to the Russian capital on Thursday. His plane had been forced to make an emergency landing due to the sudden deterioration in his health.

Navalny’s team claimed that the cup of tea that he had taken prior to the flight had been poisoned, accusing Moscow of poisoning him and ordering a ban on transporting him in “an attempt on his life.” But he was soon airlifted to Germany for treatment.

In televised comments, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia's Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechayev, who was summoned to the foreign ministry Wednesday, asked for evidence and received “no answer, no facts, no data, no formulae.”

“Russia as before expects an official answer from Berlin to the request of the Prosecutor-General's Office” to share medical data on Navalny, she said.

The RIA news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying that Moscow was ready to cooperate and exchange data with Germany on Navalny’s case.

“In general we confirm that we are ready and have an interest in full cooperation and exchange of data on this topic with Germany,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The Russian request, however, remained unanswered, according to Peskov.

He also stressed that tests conducted by Russian doctors on Navalny before his evacuation to Germany indicated no traces of poisoning.

"Before the sick man was taken to Berlin, a whole set of tests were carried out in our country in accordance with all international standards, no poisonous substances were detected," he said in reference to Navalny.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk