This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
On August 24, 2020, Aleksei A. Navalny, a prominent Russian dissident, fell ill on a flight to Moscow, prompting an emergency landing in Omsk, Siberia. He was later airlifted to Berlin, Germany, where he received medical care offered by Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Tests conducted on Navalny at Charité hospital in Berlin revealed indications of poisoning by a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors. However, the specific substance has not been identified, and further analysis is ongoing.
According to the hospital's statement, the effect of the toxin has been proven several times and in independent laboratories. Navalny remained in an induced coma in stable condition, but his life was not in danger, the doctors said.
Although it was too early to determine the lasting effects on Navalny, the possibility of long-term effects, particularly those affecting the nervous system, cannot be excluded, the doctors added.
Navalny's family and supporters had organized an air ambulance to bring him to Germany, where Chancellor Merkel had offered him access to medical care. The German government, which enjoys strong economic and cultural ties to Russia, has not shied from criticizing policies of President Vladimir A. Putin.
Even before Navalny arrived in Berlin, the German government took extra precautions to ensure his safety. His plane was rerouted from Schönefeld Airport to Tegel Airport, and the ambulance that brought him from the tarmac to the Charité hospital was escorted by the police.
“It was clear that after he arrived here, security measures had to be put in place,” said Steffen Seibert, Merkel's spokesman. “We are dealing with a patient who appears, with a certain level of probability, to have been the target of a poisoning attack.”
