Russia starts investigating Alexei Navalny's alleged 'poisoning'
Story highlights
As of now, the investigators have not found any drugs or any other potent substances from the hotel room
Russian Kremlin's critic Alexei Navalny has been in the hospital for the past one week, since he was allegedly poisoned for being an active critic of the Russian leader Valdimir Putin.
Now that the critic is stable, some doctors have claimed that no trace of poison was found during his treatment. However, some German doctors disagree with this claim.
To put an end to the rumours and the controversies, Russia's Interior Ministry is launching an investigation into the hospitalisation of the opposition leader.
Navalny was taken to the hospital after he was allegedly poisoned during a flight rom the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow.
While Russian doctors had claimed that there was no trace of poison, German doctors who treated Navalny later disagreed with the claim.
The Interior Ministry has, therefore, opened an investigation into the matter. The transportation unit of the Ministry is currently carrying out preliminary searches in the hotel room where Navalny stayed and the routes he took in the city. The video surveillance footage from the area will also be investigated.
As of now, the investigators have not found any drugs or any other potent substances from the hotel room. The Russian prosecutors have also asked Germany for Navalny's medical files from his treatment at the German clinic.
The investigation is a step towards Russia trying to clear the rumours around the critic's health, which can affect Moscow's relationship with the West.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, however, said on Thursday he was bemused by Russia not taking a transparent approach over the possible poisoning of Navalny.