The Kremlin said Friday that Russia has "limited" elements to conduct an investigation into the case of Alexei Navalny, after supporters of the Russian opposition on the day of the incident raised evidence of his possible poisoning.
"We are unfortunately limited in our capacity to conduct any investigation. Because it became clear that belongings were disposed of and removed from Russia, and we cannot know the tests that were carried out" in Germany, Russian news agencies quoted spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
This comes the day after Navalny’s team released a video clip explaining the finding of traces of a toxin of the Novichok type, which has been identified in Germany as the poison used against opponents, on a "normal plastic water bottle" found in the Alexei Navalny hotel room on the day of the accident, at the end of August, in Tomsk (Siberia).
The team explained that the vial and other evidence were taken with them and transferred to Germany, where the Kremlin opponent was hospitalized, because they were convinced that the Russian authorities would not open an investigation.
"If the flask was really there, why was it moved somewhere? Maybe there are people who don´t want an investigation?" Peskov said.
"The only thing that will reveal the circumstances of these events is the exchange of information, biological samples and clues, and joint work if necessary," he added.
Since August 20 and Navalny´s feeling of fatigue on board a plane in Russia, Moscow asserts that it has no evidence of committing a crime and therefore will not open an investigation, despite calls in this direction and European threats to impose sanctions.
The Russian doctors who treated Navalny before his transfer to Germany said that they conducted all the necessary tests without detecting any toxic substance.
The Kremlin accuses Germany of refusing to provide it with the data reached by the laboratory, which concluded that Navalny (44 years) was poisoned with a Novichok type, while Berlin transferred it to France and Sweden, where the same toxic substance was also identified.
