The opponent of the regime, which is currently imprisoned in Russia, had been poisoned in August 2020. Moscow, who has always denied any involvement, has ten days to answer.
Le Monde with AFP
The Navalny case continues to challenge the international community. A group of 45 countries, including the United States, Canada and the members of the European Union (EU), have required, Tuesday, October 5, before the Organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons (OCIA), that the Russia provides explanations after poisoning, in 2020, opponent Alexei Navalny.
Moscow has ten days to answer the questions posed by the countries, in accordance with the rules of the OPCW, whose headquarters is in The Hague.
For Western experts, the opponent of the Kremlin was victim in August 2020 from the Novitchok neurotoxic agent, conceived in the Soviet era. Mr. Navalny was treated in Germany before being imprisoned for fraud on his return to Russia. Moscow has always denied any involvement.
“Today, 45 States Parties, including Great Britain, have informed the OPCO Executive Board that they officially ask Russia’s issues on Navalny poisoning under the article 9 of the Convention, “said Twitter the British delegation. “It is essential that Russia details the measures taken to investigate and shed light on the use of a chemical weapon on its territory”, is it written in an excerpt from the declaration of the 45 countries.
“A persistent lack of transparency and cooperation”
“The United States and many members of the international community have long been thinking about the assassination attempt by Russia of Mr. Navalny with a chemical weapon, on August 20, 2020, and on its intention to cooperate With the OIOG, “Washington said in a statement.
“Given his status of State party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the persistent lack of transparency and cooperation of Russia concerning poisoning is particularly worrying,” added Washington.
Western countries, particularly require Russia to describe, in detail, the measures it has taken since August 20, 2020 to follow up on the incident. They also be surprised that Moscow has not yet received experts from the OPCW on its territory to help in the investigation, despite an invitation to this end in October 2020.
“Despite several requests” by many States Parties, “Russia has so far not provided credible explanation to the incident,” said the 45 countries in an official document published on the website OPCW. “We do not know about internal surveys in Russia,” they added.
Composed of 41 Member States, the OPCO Executive Board meets this week to discuss progress made to eliminate chemical weapons in the world. The Member States of the Executive Board also called on Monday the Syria to authorize the coming on its soil of inspectors. They believe that Damascus continues to violate its obligations regarding the verification of the possible presence of chemical weapons on sites likely to produce or store it.