Navalny Case: Russia Imposes Sanctions Against Senior German and French Officials

(Patria) – The sanctions imposed by Russia against Germany due to the poisoning case of opposition leader Alexei Navalny are unjustified, stated the spokesperson of the German government in Berlin on Friday.

- A citizen of Russia was attacked with a military nerve agent, on Russian soil, said Chancellor Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, explaining that Russia 'had all means at its disposal to investigate the crime. Instead, the Russian Foreign Minister announced sanctions against officials of foreign countries.'

Seibert added that from the German government's perspective, this is an 'unjustified and inappropriate step'.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated the day before that Moscow would soon announce retaliatory measures taken against senior officials of the German and French governments.

Navalny, who fell ill on a flight in Siberia on August 20, was transferred to Berlin in a comatose state, where he was treated and recovered.

Minister Lavrov claims that Navalny could have been poisoned in Germany, or on the plane en route to Berlin, Reuters reports.