On 20 August, Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was hospitalised after his health rapidly deteriorated on a flight to Moscow due to a confirmed poisoning attempt. Since then, Navalny has been transported to receive care at a hospital in Germany, where he remains in serious condition.

Liberal leaders across Europe have reacted to the news. ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen has called for an independent investigation, as this is not the first time leaders of political opposition forces have been poisoned in Russia. Leader of the Renew Europe Group Dacian Cioloş has called for EU members to condemn the attempt on Navalny’s life. Russian ALDE Party member Yabloko and associate member Parnas have also expressed their wishes for Navalny’s speedy recovery. Putin bears political responsibility for Navalny’s life and more public control over police forces is needed, they say.

Russian opposition politician & anticorruption activist Alexei @navalny has been taken to hospital w symptoms of poisoning. He should be offered treatment in EU. A full and independent investigation should be conducted as Russia has long tradition of poisoning polical opponents! https://t.co/oZ7B5wuS4g

— Hans van Baalen (@hansvanbaalen) August 20, 2020

Confirmation that Alexei #Navalny was poisoned is deeply disturbing.

Those responsible must be held to account & EU condemnation swift. The unacceptable treatment of Putin's opponents cannot be without consequences.https://t.co/LmdJguqRGB

— Dacian Cioloş (@CiolosDacian) August 24, 2020

Алексея Навального отравили в аэропорту Томска! Он без сознания в больнице. Верю, что врачи спасут его. Желаю Алексею @navalny преодолеть этот удар и скорейшего выздоровления.
Общественный контроль за действиями полиции!

— Михаил Касьянов (@MKasyanov) August 20, 2020

Алексей Навальный — жесткий публичный критик власти и лично президента. Поэтому всю полноту политической ответственности за его жизнь несет Владимир Путин.

— Григорий Явлинский (@yavlinsky) August 21, 2020

Alexei Navalny is one of the fiercest critics of the Putin regime. He has been arrested multiple times for protesting and was barred when he ran in the 2018 Presidential elections.

Photo credit: (c) Michał Siergiejevicz