Supporters of Alexei Navalny say the Kremlin is responsible for his condition – and delayed his transfer until the ‘poison’ in his system would no longer be detectable
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Navalny is a prominent opponent of Vladmir Putin
Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny has now arrived in Berlin, still in a coma after a suspected poisoning.
He was transferred from a Siberian hospital to Germany early this morning on a special medical plane.
Navalny's supporters, who believe a cup of tea he drank was poisoned by the Kremlin, have suggested that his transfer was delayed to ensure there would be no trace of poison left in his system by the time he arrived.
Early on Saturday morning, Mr Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh tweeted: "The plane with Alexei has taken off for Berlin. A huge thank you to everyone for your support.
"The struggle for Alexei's life and health is just beginning and there will be much more to go through, but at least now the first step has been taken."
Mr Navalny was transferred from a Siberian hospital to Berlin earlier this morning
(Image: REUTERS)
Mr Navalny, a 44-year-old politician and corruption investigator who is one of the Russian President's fiercest critics, was admitted to an intensive care unit in Omsk on Thursday.
He had collapsed on a plane on the same day after drinking tea that his allies believe was laced with poison.
German doctors flew in to evacuate Navalny at the request of his wife and allies who said they feared authorities might try to cover up clues as to how he fell ill and that the hospital treating him was badly-equipped.
Medical staff at the Omsk hospital initially said on Friday that while Navalny's condition had improved slightly overnight, he was in too unstable a state to be safely transported out of the country.
A plane carrying Alexei Navalny arrives at the Tegel airport in Berlin
(Image: FILIP SINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
But last night they said they would not object to him being moved after the German doctors were granted access to Navalny and said they thought he was fit to travel.
A senior doctor at the hospital, Anatoly Kalinichenko, said the hospital could help transport Navalny to the airport and that he would be moved within several hours.
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"We have taken the decision that we do not object to him being transferred to a different hospital," Kalinichenko said.
Navalny's wife Yulia earlier sent a letter to the Kremlin directly appealing for it to intervene and grant permission for him to be allowed to be flown out.
"It's a shame it took so long for the doctors to make this decision. The plane has been waiting since morning, the documents were also ready then," Navalny's spokeswoman said.
Alexander Murakhovsky, the head doctor at the hospital, said earlier that Navalny had been diagnosed with a metabolic disease that may have been caused by low blood sugar.
The Charite Mitte Hospital Complex in Berlin where it is believed Mr Navalny is being treated
(Image: REUTERS)
He said traces of industrial chemical substances had been found on Navalny's clothes and fingers and that doctors did not believe he had been poisoned.
Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin's side for more than a decade, exposing what he says is high-level graft and mobilising crowds of young protesters.
He has been repeatedly detained for organising public meetings and rallies and sued over his investigations into corruption. He was barred from running in a presidential election in 2018.
Sourse: www.mirror.co.uk
