Tests conducted on Russian dissident Alexei Navalny at a German hospital indicate that he was poisoned, but doctors said Monday they do not believe his life is at immediate risk.
The Charite hospital said in a statement that the team of doctors who have been examining Navalny since he was flown from Siberia and admitted Saturday have found the presence of “cholinesterase inhibitors” in his system.
Cholinesterase inhibitors are a broad range of substances that are found in several drugs, but also pesticides and nerve agents.
However, doctors at Charite said at the moment the specific substance to which Navalny was exposed is not yet known.
The hospital said in a statement that “The patient is in an intensive care unit and is still in an induced coma. His health is serious but there is currently no acute danger to his life.”
German officials say Navalny remains in critical but stable condition at the Berlin hospital, with special protection details on hand to ensure his safety.
Berlin police and federal agents were posted at the downtown Charite hospital where the 44-year-old is undergoing treatment following his arrival in Germany after Chancellor Angela Merkel personally offered the country’s assistance.
Merkel’s spokesman says “It was obvious that after Navalny’s arrival, protective precautions had to be taken.”
Navalny’s supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison — and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and a delay in transferring him to Germany.
Russian doctors have said, however, that tests have shown no traces of poison in his system.
The Kremlin hasn’t yet commented on the allegation.
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