themoscowtimes--2020-09-15--Navalny Plans Return Home as Russian Doctors’ Coma Claims Challenged – Reports

News of the opposition leader ’ s plans follows accounts by Russian paramedics , reported by Reuters , that contradict Moscow ’ s theory that Navalny fell into a coma because of a metabolic disorder or high blood sugar .
Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny plans to return to Russia as soon as he recovers from being poisoned , The New York Times reported Monday , citing a German security official .
The Siberian paramedics who saw Navalny after he fell ill on a plane on Aug. 20 observed a clinical picture of poisoning , four of five unnamed medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure that this was poisoning , ” a source who observed Navalny ’ s treatment at a hospital in the city of Omsk told Reuters .
Navalny was flown to Germany two days later , where officials said there was “ unequivocal proof ” that he had been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok .
An Omsk hospital source told Reuters that the Kremlin ordered Navalny ’ s release to be airlifted to Berlin , an account denied by Moscow .
The New York Times , meanwhile , cited an unnamed German security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a German prosecutor about plans to return to Russia as soon as he recovers .
“ He ’ s not planning to go into exile in Germany , ” the official was quoted as saying .
“ He wants to go home to Russia and he wants to continue his mission.
” NYT cited the German official as saying that Navalny , 44 , seemed mentally sharp .
Berlin 's Charité hospital said Monday that Navalny has been taken off a ventilator and is able to get up from bed for short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fully aware of his condition , he ’ s fully aware of what happened and he ’ s fully aware of where he is , ” the German official told NYT .
The paper added that the opposition leader won ’ t cooperate with Russia ’ s request to jointly investigate the attack with Germany .
Germany has said it expects Russia to answer questions over Navalny ’ s poisoning , while Russia rejected suggestions that the state played a role in the incident .
Russia has also complained that Germany was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navalny was poisoned with Novichok .
Navalny ’ s associates have tried but failed to get the Russian authorities to open a criminal investigation into his attempted murder .

News of the opposition leader’s plans follows accounts by Russian paramedics, reported by Reuters, that contradict Moscow’s theory that Navalny fell into a coma because of a metabolic disorder or high blood sugar.
Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny plans to return to Russia as soon as he recovers from being poisoned, The New York Times reported Monday, citing a German security official.
The Siberian paramedics who saw Navalny after he fell ill on a plane on Aug. 20 observed a clinical picture of poisoning, four of five unnamed medical sources told Reuters.
“Everyone was sure that this was poisoning,” a source who observed Navalny’s treatment at a hospital in the city of Omsk told Reuters.
Navalny was flown to Germany two days later, where officials said there was “unequivocal proof” that he had been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. An Omsk hospital source told Reuters that the Kremlin ordered Navalny’s release to be airlifted to Berlin, an account denied by Moscow.
The New York Times, meanwhile, cited an unnamed German security official as saying that Navalny has spoken to a German prosecutor about plans to return to Russia as soon as he recovers.
“He’s not planning to go into exile in Germany,” the official was quoted as saying. “He wants to go home to Russia and he wants to continue his mission.”
NYT cited the German official as saying that Navalny, 44, seemed mentally sharp. Berlin's Charité hospital said Monday that Navalny has been taken off a ventilator and is able to get up from bed for short periods of time.
“He’s fully aware of his condition, he’s fully aware of what happened and he’s fully aware of where he is,” the German official told NYT.
The paper added that the opposition leader won’t cooperate with Russia’s request to jointly investigate the attack with Germany.
Germany has said it expects Russia to answer questions over Navalny’s poisoning, while Russia rejected suggestions that the state played a role in the incident. Russia has also complained that Germany was ignoring its request to see evidence that Navalny was poisoned with Novichok.
Navalny’s associates have tried but failed to get the Russian authorities to open a criminal investigation into his attempted murder.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-15--‘Not in This Lifetime’: Lenin Mausoleum Renovation Contest Called Off

The Russian Union of Architects faced a barrage of criticism , mainly from the Communist Party , for calling on contestants to reimagine what to do with the building after Lenin ’ s corpse is eventually removed .
A competition for ideas to redevelop Lenin ’ s mausoleum on Red Square has been canceled less than 24 hours after its launch due to overwhelming criticism , its organizers told the Moskva news agency Monday .
“ But it won ’ t happen in our lifetime , so we decided to wait , ” union president Nikolai Shumakov told Moskva .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next lifetime but not in the next few years , ” Shumakov said .
Contest organizers have been accused by Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov of “ spitting on the grave ” of the Bolshevik revolutionary who helped found the Soviet Union .
“ There ’ s so much negativity , distortions , as if we ’ re trying to demolish the mausoleum and steal Lenin ’ s body , ” Shumakov complained .
“ I ’ ll need a five-year plan to recover , I haven ’ t received so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long time.
” Following the Soviet collapse , heated debates have picked up over the continued display of Lenin ’ s embalmed body on Red Square since his death in 1924 .
Public polling has suggested that most Russians would like to see his body buried either immediately or “ after the generation that admires him passes away.
” Public figures have in recent years advocated for the reburial of Lenin ’ s body at some point in the future , while acknowledging that a large part of the population would vehemently @ @ @

The Russian Union of Architects faced a barrage of criticism, mainly from the Communist Party, for calling on contestants to reimagine what to do with the building after Lenin’s corpse is eventually removed.
A competition for ideas to redevelop Lenin’s mausoleum on Red Square has been canceled less than 24 hours after its launch due to overwhelming criticism, its organizers told the Moskva news agency Monday.
“But it won’t happen in our lifetime, so we decided to wait,” union president Nikolai Shumakov told Moskva.
“We’ll announce this competition in the next lifetime but not in the next few years,” Shumakov said.
Contest organizers have been accused by Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov of “spitting on the grave” of the Bolshevik revolutionary who helped found the Soviet Union.
“There’s so much negativity, distortions, as if we’re trying to demolish the mausoleum and steal Lenin’s body,” Shumakov complained.
“I’ll need a five-year plan to recover, I haven’t received so much negativity in my life in such a long time.”
Following the Soviet collapse, heated debates have picked up over the continued display of Lenin’s embalmed body on Red Square since his death in 1924. Public polling has suggested that most Russians would like to see his body buried either immediately or “after the generation that admires him passes away.”
Public figures have in recent years advocated for the reburial of Lenin’s body at some point in the future, while acknowledging that a large part of the population would vehemently oppose it.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-17--Opera Star Anna Netrebko in Hospital With Coronavirus

`` I came to hospital in time and they 're helping me .
Everything will be alright , the devil is not so black as he 's painted , '' she added .
The 48-year-old soprano wrote on Instagram : `` I 've been in hospital for five days already with Covid pneumonia and will soon start recovering .
The singer 's illness comes as two top Russian theatres have suffered outbreaks of the virus shortly after reopening , raising fears over the safety of performers .
Russian opera star Anna Netrebko said on Thursday she had contracted coronavirus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Bolshoi Theater 's post-lockdown opening show .
She said that her husband , Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov , had tested positive for antibodies to the virus , showing he had been infected earlier .
He is currently performing in `` Queen of Spades '' at the Bolshoi .
Netrebko performed on September 6 and 8 in `` Don Carlos '' at the Bolshoi , the legendary theatre 's opening show after lockdown .
The Bolshoi had to cancel the third performance of the Verdi opera , set for Sep 10 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for coronavirus .
Netrebko 's manager Maxim Berin told The New York Times that she had been unwell since September 9 but was now feeling better .
The news that Netrebko also caught the virus comes as the Bolshoi has mounted an ambitious new season including performances of Tchaikovsky 's ballet `` Swan Lake '' later this month .
It has put social distancing measures in place for the audience including compulsory wearing of masks and spaced-out seating .
The Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg in mid-August suffered an outbreak of coronavirus affecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballet dancers , with three people hospitalised , a city public health official told the state TASS news agency .
The theatre said it was cutting ballet dancers ' rehearsal times as a preventative measure .
It also had to postpone several ballet performances .
The Mariinsky Theatre , known as the Kirov Theatre in the Soviet era , held the first post-lockdown staging in its historic building on August 1 .

"I came to hospital in time and they're helping me. Everything will be alright, the devil is not so black as he's painted," she added.
The 48-year-old soprano wrote on Instagram: "I've been in hospital for five days already with Covid pneumonia and will soon start recovering.
The singer's illness comes as two top Russian theatres have suffered outbreaks of the virus shortly after reopening, raising fears over the safety of performers.
Russian opera star Anna Netrebko said on Thursday she had contracted coronavirus and was in hospital with pneumonia after performing at the Bolshoi Theater's post-lockdown opening show.
She said that her husband, Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov, had tested positive for antibodies to the virus, showing he had been infected earlier. He is currently performing in "Queen of Spades" at the Bolshoi.
Netrebko performed on September 6 and 8 in "Don Carlos" at the Bolshoi, the legendary theatre's opening show after lockdown.
The Bolshoi had to cancel the third performance of the Verdi opera, set for Sep 10, after Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov tested positive for coronavirus.
Netrebko's manager Maxim Berin told The New York Times that she had been unwell since September 9 but was now feeling better.
The news that Netrebko also caught the virus comes as the Bolshoi has mounted an ambitious new season including performances of Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" later this month.
It has put social distancing measures in place for the audience including compulsory wearing of masks and spaced-out seating.
The Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg in mid-August suffered an outbreak of coronavirus affecting around 30 performers, most of them ballet dancers, with three people hospitalised, a city public health official told the state TASS news agency.
The theatre said it was cutting ballet dancers' rehearsal times as a preventative measure. It also had to postpone several ballet performances.
The Mariinsky Theatre, known as the Kirov Theatre in the Soviet era, held the first post-lockdown staging in its historic building on August 1.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-17--Protest-Plagued Belarus Strongman Transfers Son to Moscow School – Reports

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has transferred his youngest son to an elite boarding school in Moscow amid ongoing protests against his disputed re-election , Russian tabloids reported Thursday .
Nikolai “ Kolya ” Lukashenko , 16 , has become a social media sensation as he has grown from a pudgy kid to an apparent `` successor '' to the presidency who is frequently seen at his father ’ s side at public events .
Lukashenko has suggested that Nikolai is pro-opposition , saying in an interview ahead of the disputed Aug. 9 vote that his son is “ inclined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August , Nikolai was filmed wearing military fatigues and toting an automatic rifle next to his father as mass anti-Lukashenko protests raged outside the presidential palace in Minsk .
According to the Russian Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid , Nikolai is in the process of transferring to a Moscow State University ( MSU ) boarding school and has been secretly taken to Moscow .
Nikolai had initially passed exams to enter 10th grade at the Belarus State University lyceum , but source-based reporting said he had withdrawn after journalists were unable to find him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Kolya took his documents and will study in Moscow , ” Alexander Voytovich , chief researcher at the Belarusian academy of sciences , was quoted as saying .
“ Lukashenko ’ s services assessed the situation and concluded that Kolya will be very uncomfortable ” at the Belarus lyceum , Voytovich said , adding that the academy ’ s staff condemned the violent crackdown on post-election protesters .
An unnamed former Belarusian KGB agent told the tabloid his active-duty colleagues said that Nikolai was taken to the Russian capital under a shroud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first discussed sending the boy to study in Europe or the United States .
But they decided Kolya would be safest in Russia after Lukashenko ’ s talks with the Russian president , ” the alleged ex-agent was quoted as saying .
Lukashenko met President Vladimir Putin earlier Monday , where the Russian leader backed his counterpart and promised a $ 1.5 billion loan in exchange for Minsk ’ s stronger ties with Moscow .
Nikolai , who has apparently been settled at the Belarusian Embassy in Moscow , will first attend classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Komsomolskaya Pravda reported , quoting the alleged former agent .
The MSU boarding school told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency that Nikolai is not currently studying there .

Update: On Thursday evening, Nikolai appeared alongside Lukashenko’s security detail in Minsk, where his father was filmed surrounded by admirers at a women’s forum that he crashed to announce border closures. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has transferred his youngest son to an elite boarding school in Moscow amid ongoing protests against his disputed re-election, Russian tabloids reported Thursday. Nikolai “Kolya” Lukashenko, 16, has become a social media sensation as he has grown from a pudgy kid to an apparent "successor" to the presidency who is frequently seen at his father’s side at public events. Lukashenko has suggested that Nikolai is pro-opposition, saying in an interview ahead of the disputed Aug. 9 vote that his son is “inclined to oppose power in general.”
More recently in August, Nikolai was filmed wearing military fatigues and toting an automatic rifle next to his father as mass anti-Lukashenko protests raged outside the presidential palace in Minsk. According to the Russian Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid, Nikolai is in the process of transferring to a Moscow State University (MSU) boarding school and has been secretly taken to Moscow. Nikolai had initially passed exams to enter 10th grade at the Belarus State University lyceum, but source-based reporting said he had withdrawn after journalists were unable to find him among the roster of incoming students. “Kolya took his documents and will study in Moscow,” Alexander Voytovich, chief researcher at the Belarusian academy of sciences, was quoted as saying. “Lukashenko’s services assessed the situation and concluded that Kolya will be very uncomfortable” at the Belarus lyceum, Voytovich said, adding that the academy’s staff condemned the violent crackdown on post-election protesters.
news Belarus Opposition Compiling Blacklist of Officials Read more


themoscowtimes--2020-09-17--‘Socialist Symbols Wanted’: U.S. Artist Wants Lenin Corpse in D.C.

Georgian-born David Datuna shocked the art world after he ate Maruizio Cattelan ’ s $ 120,000 work titled “ Comedian ” — which consisted of a banana taped to a wall — at Art Basel in Miami last December .
An American performance artist has announced his intent to buy Vladimir Lenin ’ s embalmed corpse from Russia and move it to the United States .
On Thursday , Datuna said on social media that he wants to build a replica of Lenin ’ s Red Square mausoleum in Washington and move the communist leader ’ s embalmed body there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was growing closer to socialist ideals while Russia , where the 70-year Soviet experiment ended in 1991 , was moving in the opposite direction .
“ Russia has long been an empire with its emperor .
The U.S. , meanwhile , is moving towards communism and socialist ideas , ” Datuna wrote on Instagram .
“ Today , the attributes of the mausoleum and Lenin are more needed by the United States than Russia , ” he said .
Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov criticized Datuna ’ s proposal , calling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ [ The Americans ] should cherish their own values .
We ’ ve protected and looked after ours and will continue to do so , ” Zyuganov said .
“ They are sacred to us , whereas [ the Americans ] are destroying their own statues , even barbarically decapitating Columbus , ” Zyuganov said , referring to this year 's wave of Black Lives Matter protesters toppling monuments linked to colonialism and slavery .
Datuna ’ s mausoleum replica plans are the second controversy surrounding Lenin ’ s resting place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian Union of Architects abruptly canceled a contest to redevelop the Moscow landmark after a barrage of criticism from the Soviet founder ’ s admirers .

Georgian-born David Datuna shocked the art world after he ate Maruizio Cattelan’s $120,000 work titled “Comedian” — which consisted of a banana taped to a wall — at Art Basel in Miami last December.
An American performance artist has announced his intent to buy Vladimir Lenin’s embalmed corpse from Russia and move it to the United States.
On Thursday, Datuna said on social media that he wants to build a replica of Lenin’s Red Square mausoleum in Washington and move the communist leader’s embalmed body there.
The artist argued that the U.S. was growing closer to socialist ideals while Russia, where the 70-year Soviet experiment ended in 1991, was moving in the opposite direction.
“Russia has long been an empire with its emperor. The U.S., meanwhile, is moving towards communism and socialist ideas,” Datuna wrote on Instagram.
“Today, the attributes of the mausoleum and Lenin are more needed by the United States than Russia,” he said.
Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov criticized Datuna’s proposal, calling the mausoleum and other Soviet relics “sacred.”
“[The Americans] should cherish their own values. We’ve protected and looked after ours and will continue to do so,” Zyuganov said.
“They are sacred to us, whereas [the Americans] are destroying their own statues, even barbarically decapitating Columbus,” Zyuganov said, referring to this year's wave of Black Lives Matter protesters toppling monuments linked to colonialism and slavery.
Datuna’s mausoleum replica plans are the second controversy surrounding Lenin’s resting place this week. On Monday, the Russian Union of Architects abruptly canceled a contest to redevelop the Moscow landmark after a barrage of criticism from the Soviet founder’s admirers.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-17--Belarus Opposition Compiling Blacklist of Officials

`` I urge the security forces to stop the violence and join the Belarusian people .
If you do not , you will not escape a fair trial and punishment , '' Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said in a statement .
Belarus 's opposition leader on Thursday said she was putting together a list of law enforcement personnel responsible for beatings and arbitrary arrests for possible future prosecution .
Tikhanovskaya has claimed victory in an Aug. 9 election against President Alexander Lukashenko , claiming he rigged it to further his 26-year rule .
She fled to Lithuania in the days after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocked the former Soviet republic .
Tikhanovskaya said she was working on the list with a team of human rights campaigners .
`` We are preparing a list of those officials and law enforcement personnel who took part and are continuing to take part in police abuses .
`` We will send this list to Ukraine , Turkey , Russia , EU member states and the United States .
The list will be published , '' she said .
The European Union is preparing sanctions later this month against those it holds responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on protests .
The Baltic states of Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania have already blacklisted Lukashenko and 29 other high-ranking officials from the Belarusian election commission , ministries and police .

"I urge the security forces to stop the violence and join the Belarusian people. If you do not, you will not escape a fair trial and punishment," Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said in a statement.
Belarus's opposition leader on Thursday said she was putting together a list of law enforcement personnel responsible for beatings and arbitrary arrests for possible future prosecution.
Tikhanovskaya has claimed victory in an Aug. 9 election against President Alexander Lukashenko, claiming he rigged it to further his 26-year rule.
She fled to Lithuania in the days after the vote amid unprecedented anti-government protests that have rocked the former Soviet republic.
Tikhanovskaya said she was working on the list with a team of human rights campaigners.
"We are preparing a list of those officials and law enforcement personnel who took part and are continuing to take part in police abuses.
"We will send this list to Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, EU member states and the United States. The list will be published," she said.
The European Union is preparing sanctions later this month against those it holds responsible for rigging the vote and cracking down on protests.
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have already blacklisted Lukashenko and 29 other high-ranking officials from the Belarusian election commission, ministries and police.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-17--Navalny Likely Poisoned Before Arriving at Siberian Airport – Reports

Germany , where the Russian opposition leader is now being treated , said it has solid evidence that Navalny , 44 , was poisoned on Aug. 20 by a nerve agent from the Novichok family .
German military medics reportedly found traces of Novichok on the neck of a water bottle that Navalny ’ s family turned over to his doctors in Berlin .
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was likely poisoned before he headed to an airport in Siberia and fell violently ill on a flight last month , not at the airport itself , independent news outlets and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team recovered the courtesy water bottles from his hotel room in the city of Tomsk shortly after they learned of his poisoning , the Proekt investigative news website reported .
“ Navalny arrived at the airport from the hotel already poisoned , ” Proekt wrote .
A video posted on Navalny ’ s Instagram immediately after Proekt 's report showed members of his team placing three water bottles from his hotel room into plastic bags an hour after he had fallen ill. “ Since we were absolutely clear that Navalny didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we decided to collect everything that could be useful at least hypothetically and give it to doctors in Germany , ” the post said .
Navalny ’ s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh , who had accompanied him on the flight , previously said she believed that he was poisoned via a cup of tea he drank at a Tomsk airport cafe .
The Xander hotel in Tomsk 3,500 kilometers east of Moscow did not comment on the reports , according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency .
Proekt said it learned from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers had seized surveillance cameras and servers from the hotel .
It said the materials could play a “ key role ” in the investigation into Navalny ’ s poisoning , which Russian authorities have not yet initiated .
Russia maintains that President Vladimir Putin ’ s fierce critic was not poisoned but either had a metabolic disease or low blood sugar .
Russia has responded to Germany ’ s demands for answers with a series of questions of its own , including about the discrepancy between Russian and German medics ’ findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Berlin .

Germany, where the Russian opposition leader is now being treated, said it has solid evidence that Navalny, 44, was poisoned on Aug. 20 by a nerve agent from the Novichok family. German military medics reportedly found traces of Novichok on the neck of a water bottle that Navalny’s family turned over to his doctors in Berlin.
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was likely poisoned before he headed to an airport in Siberia and fell violently ill on a flight last month, not at the airport itself, independent news outlets and his team reported Thursday.
Navalny’s team recovered the courtesy water bottles from his hotel room in the city of Tomsk shortly after they learned of his poisoning, the Proekt investigative news website reported.
“Navalny arrived at the airport from the hotel already poisoned,” Proekt wrote.
A video posted on Navalny’s Instagram immediately after Proekt's report showed members of his team placing three water bottles from his hotel room into plastic bags an hour after he had fallen ill.
“Since we were absolutely clear that Navalny didn’t have a ‘mild illness’... we decided to collect everything that could be useful at least hypothetically and give it to doctors in Germany,” the post said.
Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh, who had accompanied him on the flight, previously said she believed that he was poisoned via a cup of tea he drank at a Tomsk airport cafe.
The Xander hotel in Tomsk 3,500 kilometers east of Moscow did not comment on the reports, according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
Proekt said it learned from a source close to hotel management that security officers had seized surveillance cameras and servers from the hotel. It said the materials could play a “key role” in the investigation into Navalny’s poisoning, which Russian authorities have not yet initiated.
Russia maintains that President Vladimir Putin’s fierce critic was not poisoned but either had a metabolic disease or low blood sugar.
Russia has responded to Germany’s demands for answers with a series of questions of its own, including about the discrepancy between Russian and German medics’ findings and how his water bottle was brought to Berlin.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-17--Chemical Weapons Watchdog Says Examining Navalny Samples

Berlin had formally requested its `` technical assistance '' over Navalny 's alleged poisoning , the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) said .
The global chemical weapons watchdog confirmed Thursday that it had sent experts to Germany to collect samples from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and that results of tests for Novichok poisoning were `` forthcoming . ''
The West says Kremlin critic Navalny , who is being treated in a Berlin hospital , was poisoned with Novichok and has pushed Russia to shed light on the incident .
Moscow denies all involvement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ( OPCW 's ) Technical Secretariat independently collected biomedical samples from Mr. Navalny for analysis by OPCW designated laboratories , '' the OPCW said in a statement .
`` Results of this analysis are forthcoming and will be shared with the German authorities . ''
OPCW chief Fernando Arias earlier this month voiced `` grave concern '' over the Navalny incident .
Germany said on Monday that labs in France and Sweden had confirmed its own finding that the banned weapons-grade substance was used , but that it was awaiting the OPCW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cause fresh tensions at the toxic arms watchdog .
Germany could ask the OPCW to use its recently acquired mandate to attribute blame for chemical attacks — powers that Russia and its allies have bitterly opposed .
Until OPCW member states voted to give the body the new powers in 2018 , it was only able to say whether chemical weapons had been used , but not by whom .
Britain drafted in the OPCW for `` technical assistance '' after former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , but that was before it had the new powers .

Berlin had formally requested its "technical assistance" over Navalny's alleged poisoning, the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said.
The global chemical weapons watchdog confirmed Thursday that it had sent experts to Germany to collect samples from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and that results of tests for Novichok poisoning were "forthcoming."
The West says Kremlin critic Navalny, who is being treated in a Berlin hospital, was poisoned with Novichok and has pushed Russia to shed light on the incident. Moscow denies all involvement.
"A team of experts from the (OPCW's) Technical Secretariat independently collected biomedical samples from Mr. Navalny for analysis by OPCW designated laboratories," the OPCW said in a statement.
"Results of this analysis are forthcoming and will be shared with the German authorities."
OPCW chief Fernando Arias earlier this month voiced "grave concern" over the Navalny incident.
Germany said on Monday that labs in France and Sweden had confirmed its own finding that the banned weapons-grade substance was used, but that it was awaiting the OPCW's evaluation.
The Navalny case threatens to cause fresh tensions at the toxic arms watchdog.
Germany could ask the OPCW to use its recently acquired mandate to attribute blame for chemical attacks — powers that Russia and its allies have bitterly opposed.
Until OPCW member states voted to give the body the new powers in 2018, it was only able to say whether chemical weapons had been used, but not by whom.
Britain drafted in the OPCW for "technical assistance" after former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with Novichok in the city of Salisbury in 2018, but that was before it had the new powers.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-17--Poland Seeks Russian Air Traffic Controllers’ Arrest Over Fatal 2010 Presidential Crash

Polish prosecutors in 2017 accused the air traffic controllers of “ deliberately provoking ” the crash where 96 Polish officials including Kaczynski died at Russia ’ s Smolensk airport .
Poland has taken the first steps to arrest three Russian air traffic controllers whom it accuses of provoking a fatal plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski in 2010 , Polish media reported late Wednesday .
Prosecutor ’ s office spokeswoman Ewa Bialik told reporters that Poland had applied for a “ temporary detainment order ” of the three Russian flight controllers , according to the broadcaster Poland In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is the first step to issuing an international arrest warrant , ” the outlet said .
Polish prosecutors believe that the Russian flight controllers “ had anticipated that a catastrophe might occur ” when they gave conditional clearance for landing to the pilots .
Russia 's Constitution prohibits the extradition of its nationals to foreign countries .
President Kaczynski and a senior delegation had been flying to Smolensk on April 10 , 2010 , to mark the murder of thousands of Poles by the Soviet secret police at Katyn in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tu-154 crash linked the disaster to adverse weather conditions at the airport .
The Kremlin has previously rejected the Polish prosecutors ’ accusations toward the air traffic controllers .

Polish prosecutors in 2017 accused the air traffic controllers of “deliberately provoking” the crash where 96 Polish officials including Kaczynski died at Russia’s Smolensk airport.
Poland has taken the first steps to arrest three Russian air traffic controllers whom it accuses of provoking a fatal plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski in 2010, Polish media reported late Wednesday.
Prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Ewa Bialik told reporters that Poland had applied for a “temporary detainment order” of the three Russian flight controllers, according to the broadcaster Poland In, which cited the Polish Press Agency.
“This is the first step to issuing an international arrest warrant,” the outlet said.
Polish prosecutors believe that the Russian flight controllers “had anticipated that a catastrophe might occur” when they gave conditional clearance for landing to the pilots.
Russia's Constitution prohibits the extradition of its nationals to foreign countries.
President Kaczynski and a senior delegation had been flying to Smolensk on April 10, 2010, to mark the murder of thousands of Poles by the Soviet secret police at Katyn in 1940.
An official Russian investigation into the Tu-154 crash linked the disaster to adverse weather conditions at the airport.
The Kremlin has previously rejected the Polish prosecutors’ accusations toward the air traffic controllers.