MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. Other countries should not tell Russia what investigative actions to take in relation to the alleged poisoning of blogger Alexei Navalny, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.
"In fact, an inquiry is underway in the form of what lawyers call a pre-investigation probe. Our agencies are looking into this incident. And we don’t like it when other countries tell us what legal steps to take, when and based on what," he said, commenting on a demand made by the British and Belgian representatives at a UN Security Council meeting that Russia conduct a fair investigation into the Navalny incident.
Russian law enforcement agencies may send additional requests to Germany in relation to the alleged poisoning of the blogger, the spokesman informed. "We are in contact on all pressing issues, including the investigation into the Berlin patient. We are waiting for a response to our request. We don’t rule out that other law enforcement agencies that are involved in a pre-investigation probe will send additional requests," he said.
The Kremlin spokesman explained that from the judicial standpoint, Russia could not turn the probe into a criminal investigation "based on the results of tests conducted in a German laboratory, especially in a military one."
When commenting on reports that Navalny’s representatives had asked for a criminal case to be opened over the incident, Peskov was doubtful that statements by the patient’s lawyers were reason enough to do it. He reiterated that a probe was underway.
According to the Kremlin spokesman, Russian President Vladimir Putin does not yet have plans to hold a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the Navalny incident.