Putin critic Alexei Navalny discharged from hospital in Germany after poisoning

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been discharged from the hospital in Berlin where he has been treated after falling ill on a domestic flight in Siberia last month and then being airlifted to Berlin while still in a coma.

“The patient’s condition had improved sufficiently for him to be discharged from acute inpatient care,” the Charite hospital said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Based on the patient’s progress and current condition, the treating physicians believe that complete recovery is possible. However, it remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning,” it added.

Berlin says tests in Germany, France and Sweden have determined Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent and the West has demanded an explanation from Russia.

Moscow has said it is yet to see evidence of a crime and has declined to open an investigation so far, instead opening a pre-investigation probe. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.

1:19 U.K., U.S. call on Russia to answer for poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny

“The decision to make details of Mr. Navalny’s condition public was made in consultation with the patient and his wife,” the hospital said.

Navalny has been documenting his recovery on Instagram and his website. On Saturday, he posted a picture of himself walking down a stairwell in the hospital, the first time he had been seen on his feet in weeks.

In the Instagram post he said he had difficulties using his phone, pouring water or climbing stairs because his hands failed him and his legs trembled.

Navalny said in his post that after weeks in a medically induced coma and with assisted breathing, his current health problems seemed minor.

“I’ll tell you why. Only recently I couldn’t recognize people and didn’t know how to talk,” he wrote.

Navalny told Russia on Monday to hand over the clothes he was wearing when he fell into a coma last month, which he said were taken from him before he was flown to Germany. He accused Moscow of withholding an important piece of evidence in his case.

3:14 Russia continues checks into Navalny case, resents pressure

“Considering Novichok was found on my body, and that infection through contact is very likely, my clothes are a very important piece of evidence,” he said.

“I demand that my clothes be carefully packed in a plastic bag and returned to me,” he said.