Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that the Kremlin is aware of the situation regarding politician and activist Alexei Navalny and assured that should he need to be treated abroad the relevant request will be reviewed in an urgent manner. The spokesman added that the government wishes the politician the speediest recovery, "just like for any Russian citizen".
Peskov went on to say that the Kremlin is monitoring the situation like everyone else via the media, noting that no special reports had been submitted to the Russian president on the matter. The spokesman cautioned the public against jumping to conclusions and instead wait for official information, assuring that should it turn out that Navalny was poisoned a criminal investigation will be opened into the incident.
"Doctors are all that is necessary now. In fact, the best doctors were involved in Omsk […] We just have to wait for the analysis results. And if it was poisoning, then we need to know what poison was used", Peskov said.
Russian Politician in Coma
Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was urgently transported to an intensive care unit at a hospital in Omsk after he fell ill on board a Moscow-bound passenger plane. According to the politician's spokesperson he was poisoned via an unknown psychodisleptic, but doctors note it's too early to say Navalny was poisoned since they need to see the results of all the tests first. The spokesperson said that the politician only consumed tea at the airport in the morning and alleged that it was the source of the alleged poisoning.
The Omsk region's Health Ministry later announced that Navalny's condition had stabilised, but is still serious as the politician remains in a coma and is connected to a respirator. Investigators have already opened a probe into the incident and the café, where the politician consumed the tea, promised to cooperate with the police.
Navalny was attacked on several occasions by people opposed to his political activities and criticism of the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin, but they were limited to throwing paint and other substances at the politician. However, one of these substances left a minor burn on one of his eyes in an incident on 27 April 2017, which he treated at a hospital in Spain.
