Doctors advise against Navalny's shifting to Berlin

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – The consulting physicians treating Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny for alleged poisoning Friday advised against his transfer to a German medical clinic due to his unstable condition.

Alexander Murakhovsky, the chief officer of the hospital where Navalny is being treated, said he cannot allow the shifting even under the responsibility of relatives, because it can lead to critical consequences, including "to the saddest one".

He also said that upon the relatives' request, doctors from the leading Moscow medical establishment have arrived in Omsk, Siberia and are trying to do everything to save Navalny's life.

In a separate statement, deputy chief medical officer Anatoly Kalinichenko said no poison or traces of poison were found during tests.

The doctors arrived at a diagnosis, which was shared with Navalny's wife and brother, and it cannot be divulged because of the personal data protection, he added.

"We do not believe that the patient suffered poisoning. As a result of examination, we have a diagnosis. I can't voice it, but it was brought to the [notice of] patient's wife and brother," he said.

Earlier on Friday a medical plane of the Berlin Charite clinic landed in Omsk to take Navalny to Berlin for treatment. It was sent with the support of the Cinema for Peace Foundation after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said at a joint news conference they were ready to provide any necessary support to Navalny.

Navalny, 44, a vociferous critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow Thursday morning.

The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk and Navalny was rushed to a hospital, where he is now on a ventilator in intensive care.

Commenting on the incident, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it is necessary to wait for the test results, if they show Navalny was poisoned, there will be an investigation.

Reactions from across Europe started to pour in Thursday afternoon on the alleged poisoning.

EU’s High Representative and Vice-President Josep Borrell said he was worried about the suspected poisoning. Borrell wrote on Twitter: "Worried to hear about Alexei Navalny's suspected poisoning. If confirmed, those responsible must be held to account. Wishing him a swift and full recovery."

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also said on Twitter that he was "deeply concerned by reports that Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been poisoned on a flight to Moscow and is now in a coma in intensive care". "My thoughts are with him and his family."

Navalny's relatives suspect that something was mixed in the tea he drank Thursday morning, according to his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh. She added that doctors have said a toxic agent would have been absorbed faster through the hot liquid.

Last year, Navalny, head of Russia’s opposition Progress Party, fell ill while being held at a Moscow detention center. His team suspected he was poisoned but doctors said it was a severe allergic reaction. Navalny did not accept the findings and had filed a legal complaint over his alleged poisoning.