themoscowtimes--2020-09-08--All Options Open on Sanctions Against Russia Over Navalny: German Minister

Germany will keep all options open on possible sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny , the country 's minister for Europe told AFP .
`` We have made it very clear that we will look at the entire set of instruments , '' Michael Roth said in an interview , responding to a question on what action Germany might take against Russia over the case .
Germany said last week there was `` unequivocal evidence '' that 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner Navalny had been poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok .
Chancellor Angela Merkel has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must answer '' questions on the case .
Moscow has fiercely denied involvement , the Kremlin denouncing as `` absurd '' attempts to blame the poisoning on Russia .
On Monday , Merkel 's spokesman underlined that she would not rule out consequences on the multi-billion-euro Nord Stream 2 pipeline project if Moscow failed to thoroughly investigate the case .
While noting that the pipeline was not just a German project , Roth stressed : `` We are open to all sanction options . ''
Any response would have to be `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Roth , whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU .
The minister also noted that the case was not a bilateral quarrel .
`` It is a conflict between Russia and democratic constitutional states , particularly in Europe but also worldwide .
`` The poisoning of Navalny is a serious violation of the chemical weapons accord and of an international , rather than bilateral , nature . ''
It was key to send a `` clear signal '' , he said .
`` We can not tolerate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has criticized the Russian regime , government and the president . ''
Roth voiced hope however that sanctions could still be avoided .
`` The Russian authorities still have the possibility to show a clear sign of their readiness to cooperate , '' he said .
Navalny 's aides have said they suspect he drank a cup of spiked tea at a Siberian airport .
He fell ill on a domestic flight last month and was treated in a Russian hospital , where doctors said they were unable to find an toxic substances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Berlin on August 22 .
The Berlin hospital now treating him said Monday that Navalny was finally out of a medically induced coma and `` responding to verbal stimuli '' .
Western leaders have expressed horror at what Navalny 's allies say is the first known use of chemical weapons against a high-profile opposition leader on Russian soil .
Novichok was also used in the 2018 attack on a former Russian double agent and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury .

Germany will keep all options open on possible sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the country's minister for Europe told AFP.
"We have made it very clear that we will look at the entire set of instruments," Michael Roth said in an interview, responding to a question on what action Germany might take against Russia over the case.
Germany said last week there was "unequivocal evidence" that 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner Navalny had been poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that "only Russia can and must answer" questions on the case.
Moscow has fiercely denied involvement, the Kremlin denouncing as "absurd" attempts to blame the poisoning on Russia.
On Monday, Merkel's spokesman underlined that she would not rule out consequences on the multi-billion-euro Nord Stream 2 pipeline project if Moscow failed to thoroughly investigate the case.
While noting that the pipeline was not just a German project, Roth stressed: "We are open to all sanction options."
Any response would have to be "the result of talks and close European coordination," said Roth, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU.
The minister also noted that the case was not a bilateral quarrel.
"It is a conflict between Russia and democratic constitutional states, particularly in Europe but also worldwide.
"The poisoning of Navalny is a serious violation of the chemical weapons accord and of an international, rather than bilateral, nature."
It was key to send a "clear signal", he said.
"We cannot tolerate the attempted murder of a person who has criticized the Russian regime, government and the president."
Call for cooperation
Roth voiced hope however that sanctions could still be avoided.
"The Russian authorities still have the possibility to show a clear sign of their readiness to cooperate," he said.
Navalny's aides have said they suspect he drank a cup of spiked tea at a Siberian airport.
He fell ill on a domestic flight last month and was treated in a Russian hospital, where doctors said they were unable to find an toxic substances in his blood, before being evacuated to Berlin on August 22.
The Berlin hospital now treating him said Monday that Navalny was finally out of a medically induced coma and "responding to verbal stimuli".
Western leaders have expressed horror at what Navalny's allies say is the first known use of chemical weapons against a high-profile opposition leader on Russian soil.
Novichok was also used in the 2018 attack on a former Russian double agent and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-08--Navalny-Backed Opposition Candidates in Siberia Attacked With Foul-Smelling Chemical

The attack is the latest attempt to disrupt the work of a coalition of opposition candidates planning to challenge pro-Kremlin incumbents in the Novosibirsk city council elections on Sept. 13 .
Authorities previously barred the candidates from setting up campaign stands and twice fined coalition leader Sergei Boyko for organizing “ unauthorized ” mass gatherings , the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported .
Assailants have spilled a foul-smelling liquid at the office of Siberian opposition candidates backed by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny ahead of upcoming regional elections , the candidates said Tuesday .
Security footage recorded Tuesday morning showed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entering , then immediately fleeing , the coalition 's office , with attendants filing out one by one soon after .
Boyko said in a tweet that the man had smashed a bottle of “ pungent liquid.
” Police believe that the assailants used an acid-based veterinary pharmaceutical , Boyko said .
At least two campaign volunteers were hospitalized after feeling sick , said Olga Guseva , a member of Navalny ’ s Anti-Corruption Foundation .
“ But the doctors started saying that [ the volunteers ] simply got worked up right after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navalny ’ , ” Guseva added in a tweet .
Navalny had traveled to Novosibirsk to film an anti-corruption investigation and support the opposition coalition before falling violently ill on Aug. 20 and staying in a coma for nearly two weeks afterward .
Germany , where Navalny was flown for treatment after two days in a Siberian hospital , said Navalny was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok family .
Siberian doctors maintain that no toxic substances were found in Navalny ’ s system and Russian officials have accused Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoted his “ Smart Voting ” tactic , which advises supporters to vote for the candidate with the best chance of defeating a pro-Kremlin opponent , ahead of Russia ’ s 2021 parliamentary elections .
Ivan Zhdanov , a lawyer who heads Navalny ’ s Anti-Corruption Foundation , linked the Novosibirsk attack to the opposition leader ’ s poisoning .
“ This idea of attacking with a chemical wouldn ’ t have come to mind if the criminals who had poisoned Navalny were in pre-trial detention , ” Zhdanov said in a Facebook @ @

The attack is the latest attempt to disrupt the work of a coalition of opposition candidates planning to challenge pro-Kremlin incumbents in the Novosibirsk city council elections on Sept. 13. Authorities previously barred the candidates from setting up campaign stands and twice fined coalition leader Sergei Boyko for organizing “unauthorized” mass gatherings, the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported .
Assailants have spilled a foul-smelling liquid at the office of Siberian opposition candidates backed by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny ahead of upcoming regional elections, the candidates said Tuesday.
Security footage recorded Tuesday morning showed a hooded young man in a surgical mask entering, then immediately fleeing, the coalition's office, with attendants filing out one by one soon after. Boyko said in a tweet that the man had smashed a bottle of “pungent liquid.”
Police believe that the assailants used an acid-based veterinary pharmaceutical, Boyko said.
At least two campaign volunteers were hospitalized after feeling sick, said Olga Guseva, a member of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
“But the doctors started saying that [the volunteers] simply got worked up right after finding out that they were ‘from Navalny’,” Guseva added in a tweet.
Navalny had traveled to Novosibirsk to film an anti-corruption investigation and support the opposition coalition before falling violently ill on Aug. 20 and staying in a coma for nearly two weeks afterward. Germany, where Navalny was flown for treatment after two days in a Siberian hospital, said Navalny was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok family.
Siberian doctors maintain that no toxic substances were found in Navalny’s system and Russian officials have accused Germany of “bluffing.”
Navalny has also promoted his “Smart Voting” tactic, which advises supporters to vote for the candidate with the best chance of defeating a pro-Kremlin opponent, ahead of Russia’s 2021 parliamentary elections.
Ivan Zhdanov, a lawyer who heads Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, linked the Novosibirsk attack to the opposition leader’s poisoning.
“This idea of attacking with a chemical wouldn’t have come to mind if the criminals who had poisoned Navalny were in pre-trial detention,” Zhdanov said in a Facebook post.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-08--Leading Scientists Question 'Highly Improbable' Russian Vaccine Results Published in Lancet

A group of prominent scientists and doctors has questioned the results of Russia ’ s research into a Covid-19 vaccine .
The group said there are a number of unexplained apparent duplications in Russia ’ s data — published in scientific journal The Lancet on Friday — concerning the antibody response of volunteers who took part in early stage trials of Russia 's Sputnik V vaccine .
“ There are very strange patterns in the data , ” Enrico Bucci , a biology professor at Temple University in the U.S. who has published an open letter highlighting the concerns told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patterns I mean there are duplicate values for different [ groups of ] patients … which can not be , ” Bucci said , in reference to results concerning the production of antibodies by groups of patients who had been tested with different formulations of the vaccine .
Russia tested six different vaccine formulations on a total of 76 patients — four groups of nine and two groups of 20 .
“ Among the [ different ] groups of nine patients , testing completely different things , you see exactly the same numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observe such a huge number of duplications , ” Bucci said .
“ It ’ s like if you throw a dice and you get exactly the same sequence of numbers several times — it ’ s highly improbable , ” he added .
“ The data looks like it 's been photoshopped … it ’ s too similar and too unlikely from a statistical point of view , ” Andrea Cossarizza , professor of pathology and immunology at the University of Modena and one of the signatories to the letter told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charts published along with the article in The Lancet .
Cossarizza went on to explain that it would be “ very strange ” for the same numbers to appear in all the possible experiments in different populations of people who received a vaccine .
Bucci said that published research into other vaccines currently being tested did not show such duplications .
“ We looked into it and we didn ’ t discover anything strange with China ’ s vaccine , the U.S. vaccine or others like the Oxford vaccine .
We didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the usual situation .
”

A group of prominent scientists and doctors has questioned the results of Russia’s research into a Covid-19 vaccine.
The group said there are a number of unexplained apparent duplications in Russia’s data — published in scientific journal The Lancet on Friday — concerning the antibody response of volunteers who took part in early stage trials of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.
“There are very strange patterns in the data,” Enrico Bucci, a biology professor at Temple University in the U.S. who has published an open letter highlighting the concerns told The Moscow Times.
“By strange patterns I mean there are duplicate values for different [groups of] patients … which cannot be,” Bucci said, in reference to results concerning the production of antibodies by groups of patients who had been tested with different formulations of the vaccine.
Russia tested six different vaccine formulations on a total of 76 patients — four groups of nine and two groups of 20.
“Among the [different] groups of nine patients, testing completely different things, you see exactly the same numbers. It’s highly improbable to observe such a huge number of duplications,” Bucci said.
“It’s like if you throw a dice and you get exactly the same sequence of numbers several times — it’s highly improbable,” he added.
“The data looks like it's been photoshopped … it’s too similar and too unlikely from a statistical point of view,” Andrea Cossarizza, professor of pathology and immunology at the University of Modena and one of the signatories to the letter told The Moscow Times. He was referring to charts published along with the article in The Lancet.
Cossarizza went on to explain that it would be “very strange” for the same numbers to appear in all the possible experiments in different populations of people who received a vaccine.
Bucci said that published research into other vaccines currently being tested did not show such duplications.
“We looked into it and we didn’t discover anything strange with China’s vaccine, the U.S. vaccine or others like the Oxford vaccine. We didn’t find anything strange ... which is the usual situation.”