Poisoning of Alexei Navalny
Navalny poisoned with Novichok; OPCW labs confirmed the agent.
On 20 August 2020, during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, the Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny became ill and was poisoned using the nerve agent Novichok.[1]
Quick Facts
- Date of poisoning
- 20 August 2020
- Victim
- Alexei Navalny
- Agent
- Novichok nerve agent (cholinesterase inhibitor, new type not on Chemical Weapons Convention list)
- Location of onset
- Flight from Tomsk to Moscow
- Initial hospital
- City Clinical Emergency Hospital No. 1, Omsk
- Evacuation hospital
- Charité hospital
- Berlin
- Germany
- Date of discharge
- 22 September 2020
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Navalny became violently ill on the flight and was put into a coma.[1][2] The German government announced on 2 September 2020 that Bundeswehr scientists had obtained unequivocal proof of Novichok poisoning.[3] Russian prosecutors refused to open a criminal investigation, claiming no sign of a crime.[4] On 14 December 2020, Bellingcat and The Insider published a joint investigation implicating FSB agents in the poisoning.[5]
Navalny recorded a telephone conversation with FSB operative Konstantin Kudryavtsev, who inadvertently confessed that Novichok had been applied to Navalny's underwear at his hotel.[6][7] Navalny's press secretary stated that he had consumed only tea that morning, and the team suspected that a substance had been added to his beverage.[8] On 22 September 2020, Navalny left the Charité hospital after being discharged.[1][9]
What the cited sources add
The Guardian reported that Navalny ordered a cup of tea at Tomsk airport, the only food or drink he had taken all day according to his press secretary.[10] The recorded conversation with Kudryavtsev described how the FSB organized the attempted assassination and the subsequent clean-up operation.[7] Kudryavtsev admitted that Alexey Alexandrov and Ivan Osipov were the main perpetrators of the poisoning in Tomsk.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Poisoning of Alexei Navalny" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "OPCW Issues Report on Technical Assistance Requested by Germany", Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 6 October 2020; "Watchdog Says Novichok-Type Nerve Agent Found in Navalny Samples", The Moscow Times, 6 October 2020; "Russia's Navalny out of coma after poisoning", BBC News, 7 September 2020; "Alexei Navalny: Russian activist discharged from Berlin hospital", BBC News, 23 September 2020; "OPCW Issues Report on Technical Assistance Requested by Germany", Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Poisoning of Alexei Navalny" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Harding, "A cup of tea, then screams of agony: how Alexei Navalny was left fighting for his life", The Guardian, 20 August 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Poisoning of Alexei Navalny" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Howes, "Novichok compound poisoned Navalny", Chemical & Engineering News, 8 September 2020; "Erklärung der Bundesregierung im Fall Nawalny", Cabinet of Germany, 2 September 2020; Oltermann, "Alexei Navalny novichok finding prompts calls for answers from Moscow", The Guardian, 3 September 2020; Huggler, "Alexei Navalny was poisoned 'using Novichok' nerve agent, says German government", The Daily Telegraph, 2 September 2020; "Alexei Navalny: Russia opposition leader poisoned with Novichok - Germany", BBC News, 2 September 2020 en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Poisoning of Alexei Navalny" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Zverev, "Russian prosecutors say no need for criminal investigation in Navalny affair", Reuters, 27 August 2020; "Russia Protests Germany's 'Unfounded Accusations' In Navalny Poisoning Case", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 9 September 2020; "Kremlin dismisses claims Putin poisoned Navalny", BBC News, 25 August 2020 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Poisoning of Alexei Navalny" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dobrokhotov, "Das sind die Männer, die Nawalny töten sollten", Der Spiegel, 14 December 2020 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Poisoning of Alexei Navalny" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ""If it Hadn't Been for the Prompt Work of the Medics": FSB Officer Inadvertently Confesses Murder Plot to Navalny", Bellingcat, 21 December 2020; Troianovski, "Navalny Says Russian Agent Confessed to Plot to Poison Him", The New York Times, 21 December 2020; Reevell, "Navalny says Russian agent accidentally admitted to poisoning him", ABC News (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- ""If it Hadn't Been for the Prompt Work of the Medics": FSB Officer Inadvertently Confesses Murder Plot to Navalny", Bellingcat, 21 December 2020. facts only, no text reused. bellingcat.com
- Wikipedia, "Poisoning of Alexei Navalny" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Harding, "A cup of tea, then screams of agony: how Alexei Navalny was left fighting for his life", The Guardian, 20 August 2020; "Alexei Navalny: Russian doctors agree to let Putin critic go to Germany", BBC News, 21 August 2020; "Alexei Navalny: German group sends plane for Putin critic fighting for life after suspected poisoning", Sky News; "Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny 'poisoned'", BBC News, 20 August 2020; DeMarche, "Alexei Navalny, a top Putin foe, allegedly poisoned: reports", Fox News, 20 August 2020; "Rus en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Poisoning of Alexei Navalny" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Alexei Navalny: Russian activist discharged from Berlin hospital", BBC News, 23 September 2020; Schmitz, "Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Discharged From Berlin Hospital", NPR, 23 September 2020 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Harding, "A cup of tea, then screams of agony: how Alexei Navalny was left fighting for his life", The Guardian, 20 August 2020. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Poisoning of Alexei Navalny (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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