Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition leader and critic of Vladimir Putin, is fighting for his life in a Serbian Hospital after drinking what those close to him believe was poisoned tea.
Russia‘s political climate has never been a shining example of democracy and fairness, but in a disturbing turn of events akin to a James Bond movie, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is in a coma after drinking allegedly poisoned tea.
44-year-old Navalny has been taken to the intensive care unit of a Serbian hospital after showing signs of poisoning and falling unconscious.
The politician’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmys, took to twitter to express the belief that Navalny had been poisoned by the tea, stating, “We assume that Alexei was poisoned with something mixed into his tea. It was the only thing that he drank in the morning.”
Yarmays went on to tell Echo of Moscow radio station that Navalny had drunk the tea from a café in the Tomsk Airport before boarding a flight to Moscow. During the flight, Navalny became ill before losing consciousness in the bathroom.
Critics of the Russian Government were quick to place blame on Putin and the Kremlin due to Navalny’s anti-corruption activism, pointing to the history of poisoning as a tool against Putin’s critics. In fact, this isn’t even Alexi Navalny’s first alleged poising. In 2019, he was rushed to hospital whilst in police custody after experiencing swelling and rashes consistent with chemical poisoning.
Russian activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who has been reportedly poisoned twice, said: “Poisoning is becoming a favorite tool of the people who are going after political opponents of Vladimir Putin’s regime.”
St. Petersburg. “In Russia it’s already scary to even drink tea.” https://t.co/HN1Ce47gny
— X Soviet (@XSovietNews) August 20, 2020
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both offered medical assistance to help with Navalny’s recovery, with Macron offering Navalny and his family asylum in France if needed.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to endorse Putin. Yikes.
Pair Obama’s warning with the fact that Trump’s sponsor Putin just poisoned the most prominent and potent opposition figure in Russia. We live at a time where everything is at stake, everywhere.
— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) August 20, 2020
