NATO condemn the assassination attempt on Russian opposition politician Navalny

USPA NEWS - The North Atlantic Council has issued a warning to Russia regarding the poisoning of the opposition figure Alexei Navalny. Allies condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on Navalny, a Russian opposition figure, with the use of a nerve agent from the banned Novichok group.

“Any use of chemical weapons, under any circumstances, is a clear breach of international law and contrary to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of all chemical weapons,“ said the North Atlantic Council on Friday. All NATO Allies condemned the attack and called on Russia to cooperate on an impartial and international investigation. The Secretary General stressed that the attack on Navalny is also an attack on fundamental democratic rights and a serious breach of international law, which demands an international response.

“We are united in our call on Russia, as a matter of urgency, to be fully transparent and to bring those responsible to justice, bearing in mind Russia´s commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention,“ added the NATO ministers. In this context, as part of a joint international response, Allies support the important role of the OPCW and urge Russia to immediately disclose any information relevant for its work.

Allies thank Germany for hosting Alexei Navalny and the Charité hospital in Berlin for his treatment. “Our thoughts are with him and his family. We wish him a swift and full recovery,“ said the North Atlantic Council in a statement.

The NATO ministers met on Friday to address the assassination attempt on Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny. Germany briefed Allies on the toxicology findings of their specialist laboratory. “There is proof beyond doubt that Mr. Navalny was poisoned using a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok group,“ said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.