German Justice Ministry Receives Russia's 2nd Request For Assistance On Navalny Case

Faizan Hashmi Published September 16, 2020 | 07:22 PM

The German Justice Ministry has received a second request from Russia's Prosecutor General's Office for legal assistance in the case of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, a spokesperson of the ministry said during a briefing on Wednesday

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th September, 2020) The German Justice Ministry has received a second request from Russia's Prosecutor General's Office for legal assistance in the case of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, a spokesperson of the ministry said during a briefing on Wednesday.

"I can confirm that the Prosecutor General's Office [of Russia] made a second request for legal assistance to the Federal department for justice during evening hours on the day before yesterday, on September 14, and this second request is being verified," the spokesperson said.

On August 20, Navalny fell ill during a domestic Russian flight. He was initially treated in the Siberian city of Omsk, but was transported to Berlin several days later. Earlier this week, the Berlin-based Charite hospital, where the opposition figure is being treated, said that the condition of Navalny was improving, and he was no longer on a ventilator and could get out of bed.

The German government has said that doctors have found traces of a nerve agent from the Novichok group in his system. Moscow responded by pointing out the lack of evidence in Berlin's claims and noting that Russian doctors had found no toxic substances in Navalny.

In late August, the Russian prosecutor's office sent the first request on legal assistance to Germany in relation to the incident. At the same time, the Russian Investigative Committee sent a statement from Navalny's supporters about an alleged assassination attempt to its regional branch in Siberia for an investigation. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, a de facto probe into Navalny's situation was ongoing, but a criminal case would be officially opened only if the presence of poisonous substances in his body was confirmed.