Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who had been admitted for having been allegedly poisoned, was discharged recently. On Monday, he came out to the press and said that Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel visited him privately in Berlin.
German magazine Der Spiegel reported Sunday evening, without citing sources, that Merkel had made a secret visit to Navalny when he was at the Charite hospital in Berlin. It didn’t specify when the visit happened, but Navalny was discharged from the hospital last week.
Navalny had said the above in clarification to the report, “There was a meeting, but one shouldn’t call it secret,” in a tweet, referring to media reports alleging that Merkel made a secret visit to the Charite hospital where he remained for 32 days. “Rather, (it was) a private visit and a conversation with the family. I’m very grateful to chancellor Merkel for visiting me in the hospital,” the politician wrote.
He had been critical in the hospital for 32 days after having been suspected to be poisoned by the World War II famed poisoning agent Novichok. Angela Merkel’s visit allegedly confirms this poisoning, after doctors deemed his condition had improved sufficiently for him to be discharged. He will remain in Germany for the time being to continue his rehabilitation.