Russian opposition leader's mother hospitalized in Berlin after suspected poisoning
The mother of a well-known Russian opposition figure has been admitted to a German clinic. She suspects an attempt was made to poison her.
7:46 PM EST, December 18, 2024
The mother of Russian opposition leader and Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza was admitted to Berlin's Charite clinic. She claims that an attempt was made to poison her, and the German police are investigating it as a potential attempted murder.
"The woman informed medical staff at the clinic that she suspects she was poisoned. She has been moved to the isolation ward of Charite Hospital. Blood tests are being conducted for various toxic substances. Police are taking all necessary actions to ensure public safety and identify potential suspects," reported the Berlin police on Tuesday, December 17, on Platform X.
The first test is negative
Vladimir Kara-Murza confirmed that his mother is being treated at Charite clinic. However, suspicions of attempted poisoning or a heart attack were not confirmed, he wrote on X. This diagnosis was not made at Charite, according to reports from German media citing the clinic's spokesperson.
"Der Tagesspiegel" newspaper reported, citing "security circles," that the initial suspicion involved poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok. However, the result of the first rapid blood test was negative, according to the Berlin newspaper. Further extensive blood examination was planned, and the police were set to search the victim’s apartment.
two poison attacks
Kara-Murza is among the most prominent Russian opposition figures and critics of Vladimir Putin. In April 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years on treason charges. In August of this year, he was expelled from Russia as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and the West. He has survived two previous poisoning attempts.
After his release, Kara-Murza chose not to go immediately to the USA, where his wife and daughters reside, for safety reasons but instead stayed in Germany. His mother has been living in Berlin for a considerable time.
Navalny, Novichok, and Charite
There was also an attempt to poison Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny with Novichok in August 2020. Shortly afterward, he was taken to Berlin's Charite for treatment, where he stayed for several weeks. Upon returning to Russia in January 2021, he was arrested and subsequently sentenced to 19 years in a penal colony after several trials.
In February of this year, the 47-year-old Navalny died unexpectedly in the penal colony.
