Germany; A long-time opponent of President Vladimir Putin and campaigner against corruption Alexei Navalny was evacuated to Germany for medical treatment on Saturday, flown out of the Siberian city of Omsk in an ambulance aircraft and taken to a hospital in Berlin.There was comments yet from the Charite hospital on his condition but the founder of the activist group that arranged the flight called Navalny’s health condition “very worrying”.
Navalny collapsed on a plane on Thursday after drinking tea that his allies believe was laced with poison.Medical staff at the hospital in Omsk said on Friday evening, after clearing Navalny to be flown out, that he was in an induced coma and his life was not in immediate danger.
Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin’s side for more than a decade, exposing what he says is high-level graft and mobilising crowds of young protesters.He has been repeatedly detained for organising public meetings and rallies and sued over his investigations into corruption. He was barred from running in a presidential election in 2018.
German doctors flew to Russia on Friday to evacuate Navalny at the request of his wife and allies who said that the hospital treating him was badly equipped.But there was then a delay flying him out as the Omsk hospital initially said his condition meant he could not travel.The air ambulance, arranged by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, flew to Berlin’s Tegel airport early on Saturday and Navalny, 44, was rushed to the Charite hospital complex.
The hospital said in a statement it would provide an update about his condition and further treatment once tests have been completed and after consulting with his family. It added this could take some time.“His health condition is very worrying,” Cinema for Peace founder Jaka Bizilj told reporters outside the hospital.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia, sent a letter to the Kremlin directly appealing for it to intervene and grant permission for him to be allowed to be flown out.Navalny’s allies have said they feared authorities in Russia might try to cover up clues as to how he fell ill.The doctors in Omsk said on Saturday they were ready to share all information they have with the German clinic.
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