Russian police seek access to 'poisoned' Alexei Navalny for questioning

Russian police are seeking access to Alexei Navalny for questioning after Moscow rubbished Germany’s findings in Kremlin critic’s toxicology report. German health authorities have confirmed the poisoning of the anti-corruption campaigner with a Soviet-style nerve agent from the Novichok group.

The Siberian transport police said in a statement that Russia would prepare a request to let its officers and an “expert” shadow German investigators as they probe Navalny’s case. Russia wants access to Navalny to ask supplementary questions as German investigators carry out their independent investigation.

Russia has been facing growing pressure to hold the perpetrators accountable as the Western nations made their case at the Security Council. The United States told the UN Security Council on September 10 that it work with allies to hold people accountable for the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, including through “restricting funds for malign activities.”

Read: Novichok Group Toxin Used On Navalny 'harder' Than Previous Forms: Report

Read: US Threatens To Restrict Funds For 'malign Activities' Over Navalny's Poisoning

Cherith Norman Chalet, the deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, told the 15-member council that any use of chemical weapons under any circumstances is unacceptable and contravenes the international norms prohibiting the use of such weapons. Norman Chalet urged Russia to be fully transparent cooperate with the international community’s probe into this latest attack. 

“Wherever the evidence leads, we will work with allies and the international community to hold perpetrators accountable, including through restricting funds for malign activities,” she asserted during a Security Council briefing on Syria Chemical Weapons.

Russia hits out at Western countries

Kremlin had denounced the attempts of western countries to blame the Russian government for the alleged poisoning as absurd. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov hit back on September 11, saying Russia doesn't like it when other countries dictate them about what legal procedures to opt. Peskov insisted that Kremlin is independently looking into the case but cannot open a criminal case on the basis of test results carried out in German military labs. 

Read: G7 Foreign Ministers Strongly Condemn 'confirmed Poisoning' Of Navalny

Read: Pompeo Says 'substantial Chance' Of Russian Officials Behind Navalny's Poisoning