Novichok nerve agent found in Russian opposition figure Navalny, says Germany

Tests performed on samples taken from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnyshowed the presence of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, the Germangovernment has said.

Mr Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator whois one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics, fell ill on aflight back to Moscow from Siberia on August 20 and was taken to hospital inthe Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.

He waslater transferred to Berlin’s Charite hospital, where doctors last week saidthere were indications he had been poisoned.