Alexei Navalny: Plane leaves Germany to collect 'poisoned' critic

An air ambulance has begun its journey from Germany to bring Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny from Siberia to Berlin for treatment following his suspected poisoning.

 

But the chief doctor at the hospital where he is being treated says the critic is not well enough to be moved.
Mr Navalny's spokeswoman called the medic's decision "an attempt on his life"
He is in a coma after falling ill during a flight on Thursday.
His team suspects something was put in his tea at an airport cafe.
Medical equipment and specialists are also on the plane, the head of German peace foundation Cinema for Peace said.
Berlin's Charite hospital is ready to treat the staunch critic of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Jaka Bizilj, director of the Cinema For Peace foundation, said.
The organisation is hopeful Nr Navalny will be allowed to leave Russia on Friday morning. Local authorities say that medical specialists from Moscow have gathered in Omsk to determine whether he can be flown to Germany.


Both Germany and France have said they are happy to help with treatment. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said "he can receive from us all the help and medical support needed".
A spokesperson for Mr Putin said the Kremlin would help move Mr Navalny abroad if necessary and wished him a "speedy recovery".

What happened to Alexei Navalny?

Mr Navalny, who in June described a vote on reforms allowing Mr Putin to serve another two terms in office, after the four terms he has already had as a "coup" and a "violation of the constitution", fell ill during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow and his plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, Siberia.
"Alexei has toxic poisoning," tweeted Kira Yarmysh, the press secretary for the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which Mr Navalny founded in 2011



Video footage on social media shows Mr Navalny being taken on a stretcher to an ambulance on the airport runway.
Other disturbing video appears to show a stricken Mr Navalny in pain on the flight. Passenger Pavel Lebedev said he heard the activist "screaming in pain".
Another photograph on social media purports to show Mr Navalny drinking from a cup at a Tomsk airport cafe.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53857563