Suspicions raised over poisoning as tensions remain high in Russia

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been discharged from a hospital even though his physician raised suspicions of a possible poisoning.

Details about Mr Navalny’s condition were scarce after the politician was rushed to a hospital on Sunday from a detention facility where he was serving a 30-day sentence for calling an unsanctioned protest.

He was arrested several days before a major opposition rally on Saturday that ended with nearly 1,400 people detained.

Tensions were high in Moscow yesterday as dozens of protesters remained in custody and the opposition called for a new rally over the weekend. Access to Mr Navalny is restricted.

Dr Anastasiya Vasilyeva, who has been Mr Navalny’s physician for several years, said the politician had been discharged from the hospital yesterday and sent back to the detention facility before the necessary tests were run on him. Doctors at the hospital initially said Mr Navalny was taken in with a severe allergy attack, but Ms Vasilyeva said the swelling and the rash on his face could be consistent with chemical poisoning.

The physician said the incarceration would jeopardise Mr Navalny’s health.

“He has not fully recovered,” she said. “He should have been left under medical supervision. Who is going to watch over him at the detention facility? They are not qualified to provide him with professional help.” Ms Vasilyeva expressed concern the chemical agent that caused the outbreak could still be in his prison cell.

At least 21 people, including Mr Navalny’s supporters and journalists, were briefly detained outside the hospital late on Sunday.

Ms Vasilyeva said that hospital officials who previously diagnosed Mr Navalny with an allergic reaction refused to run the necessary tests on him. The source of the allergic reaction or poisoning was not immediately clear.

But Mr Navalny’s ally Leonid Volkov on Sunday complained about “anti-sanitary conditions” at the detention facility where he had also been detained before.

Mr Navalny has been the Kremlin’s most formidable foe since 2011 when he led a massive wave of protests against president Vladimir Putin and his party. He has since been convicted on two sets of criminal charges, largely regarded as politically motivated, and spent numerous stints in jail for disturbing public order and leading unsanctioned protests.

Baton-wielding police on Saturday wrestled with protesters in arguably the largest unsanctioned protest in Russia in a decade.

More than 1,400 people were taken into custody on Saturday, including several wouldbe candidates.