Novichok diagnosed within days, say Alexei Navalny’s German doctors

The Berlin doctors who treated Alexei Navalny have published clinical details of his novichok poisoning, in what the Russian opposition leader called the medical proof repeatedly denied by President Vladimir Putin.

In an article in The Lancet medical journal, doctors at Berlin’s Charite hospital detail the symptoms observed as Navalny was admitted into their care in August. They provide information on his physical responses as infusions, treatments, CT scans and MRIs were carried out.

“Ascertaining the involvement of a novichok agent and its biotransformation products in this case was only achieved several days after establishing the diagnosis of cholinesterase inhibitor poisoning and did not affect therapeutic decision,” they write.

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Navalny was flown to Germany for treatment after he collapsed on a flight from Siberia to Moscow.

Experts from several western countries have determined that Navalny was poisoned by the Soviet-era nerve agent novichok, something that only Russian authorities can administer. The claim has been repeatedly denied by Moscow.

In a dig at the Russian president, Navalny wrote on Facebook that “the most important is that Vladimir Putin is relieved”.

“At every press conference, he exclaims, agitating with his hands to ask when the Germans will give their data?

“That’s no longer important now, the medical data is now published and available to the entire world.”

The Lancet publication came two days after Navalny published a video of an extraordinary conversation with an alleged FSB agent, who said operatives placed the poison in his underpants in August.

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Navalny apparently dupes FSB agent into revealing agency’s role in novichok plot – video

The telephone conversation had been recorded in a sting by Navalny, who said he had impersonated an official in the Kremlin’s security council to get the FSB agent to admit to the poisoning.

Russia on Tuesday summoned senior EU diplomats and announced it was imposing tit-for-tat sanctions against member states and institutions.