Written by Surja Chauhan

Alexei Anatolievich Navalny,  a Russian politician, and anti-corruption activist, recently fell ill on a flight going to Moscow and was taken to the hospital after the plane made an emergency landing.

Navalny’s spokeswoman said that he was poisoned by something in the tea he drank on the morning of August 20 before boarding a flight from the Siberia to Moscow. While on the flight, Navalny became ill, and the plane made an emergency landing in Omsk so that he could receive medical treatment.

His supporters believe that his tea was poisoned and that the government is responsible for his illness. However, doctors in Omsk have denied the accusation saying that it was a metabolic disorder and was caused by a drop in blood sugar. Russian health authorities said that tests did not show any poison in his system.

Mr. Navalny was then evacuated to Berlin, Germany by a flight paid for by the German non- governmental organization Cinema For Peace. He is being treated at the German Capital’s Charity hospital, which has said it does not expect to release a statement about his condition right now. The founder of the Cinema for Peace Foundation, activist and filmmaker Jake Bizilj, told reporters outside the hospital that Mr. Navalny’s condition was very worrying. It is not only about the question of whether he will survive this. He said it was a  question of what kind of damage there is, and if he will survive this and come back to normal condition.

Navalny came to international prominence by organising demonstrations, and running for office, to advocate reforms against corruption in Russia. Navalny’s wife is Tulia Navalnaya and he has two children named Daria Navalnaya (Daughter) and Zahar Navalny (Son).

This is not the first time he has been targeted.

In 2017 he was hospitalized after a green dye was thrown on his face. In 2019, he was sent to prison for 30 days for protesting. He fell in while in jail – he said he had been poisoned. Then in December 2019, his office was raided by the Anti-Corruption Foundation.

Leaders from around the world are voicing their concerns over the attack on Nalvany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that those behind the poisoning must be punished. o be identified and held accountable. The UK has called for a “full and transparent” investigation. Joe Biden, the US Democratic presidential candidate had promised that if he came to power he would “stand up to autocrats like Putin”.

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