Top UK diplomat calls for probe into Navalny poisoning

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - The British foreign secretary said he welcomed the fact that Russian activist Alexei Navalny was receiving treatment in Germany following suspected poisoning, and called for a “full and transparent investigation” into the incident.

“Relieved that Alexey @navalny has been flown to Germany to receive the critical medical treatment that he needs. I wish him a swift recovery. It is vital that there is a full & transparent investigation into his poisoning,” Dominic Raab said in a Twitter post.

Navalny, 44, a vociferous critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is in a coma after drinking a cup of tea that was allegedly poisoned. His supporters blame the Kremlin.

The two previous high-profile poison attacks allegedly carried out by Russia both happened in the UK: the poisoning of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 and the poison attack on former military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in 2018.