The Scotsman

Poisoned Navalny now ‘able to leave bed’

- By GEIR MOULSON

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s health has improved so he is now able to leave his bed briefly, the Berlin hospital treating him has said.

It comes after Germany announced French and Swedish labs have confirmed its findings that he was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.

Mr Navalny, the most prominent opponent of Russian president Vladimir Putin, was flown to Germany two days after falling ill on 20 August on a domestic flight in Russia.

He is being treated at Charite hospital in Berlin, which said Mr Navalny has now been “successful­ly removed from mechanical ventilatio­n”.

The statement does not address the long-term outlook for the 44- yearold Russian politician and anti-corruption investigat­or.

The German government also said tests by labs in France and Sweden had backed up earlier findings by a German military lab that Mr Navalny was poisoned with Novichok.

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