Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is in grave condition after a suspicious poison intake. He is on ventilator support in ICU in coma condition.
The 44-year old Navalny is a well-known lawyer, politician and anti-corruption campaigner against President Vladimir Putin. Through social media, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said –
Alexei has toxic poisoning,
Alexei is now in intensive care.
I’m sure it was intentional poisoning,
Going into the details
Alexei Navalny was admitted in a hospital in the city of Omsk, Siberia today after he fell ill while flying from Siberian city Tomsk to Moscow. The plane made an emergency landing after Navalny lost consciousness during the flight.
Navalny had consumed only tea in the morning before getting into the flight. It is believed that some poison has been mixed into the hot tea which has quickly affected. Confirming the same, his spokesperson said –
Doctors are saying the toxin was absorbed quicker with hot liquid,
We think that Alexei was poisoned with something mixed in his tea. That was the only thing he drank in the morning,
He is in serious condition as per the doctor’s bulletin released on his health.
Navalny’s foundation for fighting against corruption has been exposing graft among government officials, including some at the highest level.
Past attacks on opposition leader Navalny
In 2017, he was attacked by several men outside his office who threw antiseptic on his face damaging one of his eyes.
In 2019 August, he was detained by the police in the name of illegal protests. He suffered from rashes and swellings on his face.
High-profile personalities poisonings who opposed Kremlin
In 2006, former Russian security service agent Alexander Litvinenko was fatally poisoned with radioactive polonium in a cup of tea in London.
In 2018 March, Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with nerve agent Novichok in the city of Salisbury.
Several other opposition leaders of Russia have suffered severe illnesses that they blamed of poisoning.