Navalny posts FIRST picture from Berlin hospital: Spokeswoman insists he'll return to Russia, Kremlin 'happy' to see his recovery
Hope of a full recovery for Alexey Navalny received a boost on Tuesday morning, when the Russian opposition figure published a photo from Berlin's Charite hospital for the first time since he was admitted on August 24.
Writing on Instagram, Navalny explained that he "can still barely do anything," but is now able to breathe "on his own" without a ventilator. The anti-corruption activist appears to be in good spirits, joking that he "recommends" breathing, which he described as an "amazing, underestimated" process.
Navalny's post comes just a day after a German official apparently revealed the activist's intention to return home after he recovers, in order to "continue his mission." Allegedly speaking to the New York Times, the unnamed official also noted that Navalny is "fully aware of his condition" and seems mentally sharp.
On Tuesday, his press secretary, Kira Yarmysh, confirmed that Navalny would return to Russia, saying that "no other options were ever considered."
Speaking to reporters, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman noted that news of Navalny's recovery is positive, and he would be welcomed back to his homeland.
"He is a citizen of Russia, he is free to leave Russia and return to Russia," Dmitry Peskov said. "If a Russian citizen improves his health, everyone will be happy."
Navalny, a well-known anti-corruption campaigner and Moscow protest leader, fell ill on August 20 during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. Following an emergency landing, he was immediately hospitalized in the Siberian city of Omsk. Two days later, after a request from his associates, Navalny was flown to Berlin's Charite hospital.
More than a week after he landed in Germany, Berlin announced that the opposition figure had been poisoned with a nerve agent from the 'Novichok' group, a finding later confirmed by laboratories in both Sweden and France. Contrary to German experts' diagnosis, medical professionals in Omsk deny that any poison was found in the opposition figure's body.
Also on rt.com Germany claims French & Swedish labs ‘confirmed’ Navalny’s Novichok poisoning, as Macron labels incident ‘attempted murder’If you like this story, share it with a friend!
