Putin critic Navalny under guard after likely poisoning

Germany said on Monday it had placed Alexei Navalny under guard in hospital after determining that the long-time critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin had most likely been poisoned while campaigning in Siberia.

Joe Davies reports.

Germany said on Monday (August 24) it had placed Alexei Navalny - a long-time critic of Vladimir Putin - under guard in hospital, after it determined he had most likely been poisoned while campaigning in Siberia.

Navalny collapsed on a plane on Thursday last week after drinking tea that his allies say was laced with poison.

He was flown to Germany for treatment on Saturday (August 22).

Angela Merkel's chief spokesman said the suspicion is that Navalny was poisoned given that, quote, "recent Russian history has had several such suspected cases".

Russia's government made no immediate comment on the German statement.

On Friday (August 21), the Kremlin said it was still unclear what caused Navalny to fall ill - and that initial tests didn't show he was poisoned.

Doctors at the Siberian hospital that first treated him said on Monday (August 24) that they had saved his life - but that they hadn't found traces of poison in his system.

Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin's side for more than a decade, exposing what he says is high-level graft, and mobilizing crowds of young protesters.

He's been repeatedly detained for organizing public meetings and rallies - and sued over his investigations into corruption.