Russian opposition leader Navalny in ‘serious condition’ after suspected poisoning

Issued on: 20/08/2020 - 07:09

Navalny, 44, is unconscious and in intensive care after he started feeling unwell on a flight returning to Moscow, the capital, from the Siberian city of Tomsk, said Kira Yarmysh, the spokeswoman.

After the plane landed in Omsk, Navalny was taken to hospital with suspected poisoning, she added on social media such as Twitter and Telegram.

"We assume that Alexei was poisoned with something mixed with his tea," she said. "That's the only thing he drank this morning."

Yarmysh drew a parallel with an incident last year in which Navalny suffered an acute allergic reaction one doctor said could have resulted from poisoning with an unknown chemical.

Navalny, a lawyer and anti-corruption activist, has served several stints in jail in recent years for organising anti-Kremlin protests.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Russia's arrests and detention of Navalny in 2012 and 2014 were politically motivated and violated his human rights, a ruling Moscow called questionable.

Russian officials have designated his non-profit organisation Foundation for Fighting Corruption, which has spearheaded major anti-corruption investigations, as a "foreign agent", thereby curtailing its activities.

Last month, Navalny had to shut the foundation after a financially devastating lawsuit from Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with close ties to the Kremlin. 

Frequent harassment

The most prominent member of Russia's opposition, Navalny campaigned to challenge Putin in the 2018 presidential election, but was barred from running. 

He set up a network of campaign offices across Russia and has since been putting forward opposition candidates in regional elections, challenging members of Russia's ruling party, United Russia. 

Like many other opposition politicians in Russia, Navalny has been frequently harassed by pro-Kremlin groups. In 2017, he was attacked by several men who threw antiseptic in his face, damaging one eye. 

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AP)