NATO Calls for Probe Into Russian Opposition Leader’s Illness

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Wednesday for an investigation into the circumstances behind Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s illness, saying medical reports of a toxic substance in his body were credible.

“We have no reason to doubt the finding of the doctors in the hospital, and what we need now is a transparent investigation to find out what happened and to make sure that those responsible are held accountable,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Berlin before a meeting with EU defense ministers.

Navalny, a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Sunday was airlifted in a coma for treatment at a clinic in Berlin after collapsing on a plane last week while returning to Moscow from Siberia.