Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2025

Daily Sabah - Latest & Breaking News from Turkey | Istanbul

  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Foreign labs in Sweden, France confirm Kremlin critic Navalny poisoned with Novichok

by ASSOCIATED PRESS

BERLIN Sep 14, 2020 - 11:46 am GMT+3
This file photo shows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny standing near law enforcement agents in a hallway of a business center, which houses the office of his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), in Moscow, Dec. 26, 2019. (AFP Photo)
This file photo shows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny standing near law enforcement agents in a hallway of a business center, which houses the office of his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), in Moscow, Dec. 26, 2019. (AFP Photo)
by ASSOCIATED PRESS Sep 14, 2020 11:46 am

Specialist labs in France and Sweden have confirmed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, the German government said Monday.

A German military laboratory previously confirmed the substance in his samples.

German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert also said that the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is taking steps to have samples from Navalny tested at its reference laboratories.

"Independently of the ongoing examinations by the OPCW, three laboratories have now confirmed independently of one another the proof of a nerve agent of the Novichok group as the cause of Mr. Navalny's poisoning,” Seibert said in a statement.

He said Germany had asked France and Sweden for an "independent review” of the German findings. German officials said labs in both countries, as well as the OPCW, took their own new samples.

Navalny, the most prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was flown to Germany two days after falling ill on Aug. 20 on a domestic flight in Russia and is being treated at Berlin's Charite hospital. Berlin has demanded that Russia investigate the case.

Seibert on Monday renewed Germany’s demand that "Russia explain itself” on the matter. He added that "we are in close consultation with our European partners on further steps.”

The Kremlin has bristled at calls from Chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders for Russia to answer questions in the case, denying any official involvement and accusing the West of trying to smear Moscow.

Russian authorities have prodded Germany to share the evidence that led it to conclude "without doubt” that Navalny was poisoned with a military nerve agent from the Novichok group, the same class of Soviet-era agent that British authorities said was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in 2018. Berlin has rejected suggestions from Moscow that it is dragging its heels.

Seibert wouldn't identify the specialist French and Swedish labs at a regular government news conference. But the head of the Swedish Defence Research Agency, Asa Scott, told Swedish news agency TT: "We can confirm that we see the same results as the German laboratory, that is, that there is no doubt that it is about these substances.”

Asked why no samples have been given to Russia, German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr replied that "Mr. Navalny was in Russian treatment in a hospital for 48 hours.”

"There are samples from Mr. Navalny on the Russian side,” she added. "The Russian side is called on, even after three independent labs have established the result, to explain itself, and Russia has... all the information and all the samples it needs for an analysis.”

Navalny was kept in an induced coma for more than a week as he was treated with an antidote, before hospital officials said a week ago that his condition had improved enough for him to be brought out of it.

The Berlin hospital said Monday that Navalny "has been successfully removed from mechanical ventilation.” It added in a statement that "he is currently undergoing mobilization and is able to leave his bed for short periods of time.”

  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Sep 14, 2020 4:15 pm
    KEYWORDS
    alexei navalny novichok poison attack russia
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Russia's nuke plant attack revives Chernobyl disaster fears
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • DS TV
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021