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Thursday, March 28, 2024

No need for Kremlin to investigate Navalny illness

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No need for Kremlin to investigate Navalny illness
No need for Kremlin to investigate Navalny illness

The Kremlin said on Tuesday it saw no need for now to investigate the circumstances leading up to opposition politician Alexei Navalny's illness.

It went on to label a German clinic's initial diagnosis of poisoning as not yet conclusive.

Adam Reed reports.

Alexei Navalny’s wife Yulia was at the Berlin hospital treating him on Tuesday ... as the Kremlin again said there was no conclusive evidence he was poisoned, and therefore no need for an investigation.

On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined international calls on Russia to investigate the suspected poisoning.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was unclear why German doctors tending to Navalny were "rushing" to use the word poisoning.

"Of course, if the substance is identified and if it is determined that it is poisoning, then, of course, this will be a reason for investigation.

Certainly." He also dismissed any possible involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin as “empty noise”.

While there's been no absolute confirmation for the moment, toxicology experts see common signs of poisoning in descriptions of Navalny's condition Dr Richard Parsons is from King's College London.

"So, normal side effects you see are as Mr. Navalny saw, severe pain, severe stomach cramps because that was the first site of exposure, was the stomach, so he got nerve endings there." Navalny fell ill last week while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow, after what his allies believe was a poisoning.

A fierce critic of Putin, Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin's side for more than a decade, mobilizing crowds of young protesters and exposing what he says is high-level corruption.

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