RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER IN HOSPITAL WITH SUSPECTED POISONING

The leader of Russia’s opposition party, Alexei Navalny is in a hospital in Serbia after he was allegedly poisoned.

He is said to be unconscious on a ventilator in ICU after his plane had to make an emergency landing on its return to Moscow.

His spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh tweeted: “We assume that Alexei was poisoned with something mixed into his tea. That was the only thing he drank this morning. The doctors say that the toxin was absorbed more quickly because of the hot liquid. Right now Alexei is unconscious.”

The 44-year-old leader of the opposition party, Russia of the Future, is a fierce critic of president Vladimir Putin and has made a name for himself after he exposed corruption at government level.

The Guardian reports that a passenger on the flight, Pavel Lebedev wrote on his Instagram: “At the beginning of the flight he went to the toilet and didn’t come back. He started feeling very poorly. They could barely revive him and he’s still crying out in pain.” Lebedev also published a photo of the politician drinking tea at the airport café before the flight.

The Kremlin has wished the married father of two well with his recovery.

Watch the DW video below for more.

Image credit: Forbes