BERLIN, August 22. /TASS/. Flight, which brought Russian blogger Alexei Navalny to Berlin, was carried out by individuals and the German government was not involved in sending the plane, founder of the Cinema for Peace human rights foundation Yaka Bizil told reporters on Saturday.
"It was arranged privately. The German government was not involved but was certainly informed," Bizil said. He highlighted the remark of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who announced during her visit to France earlier this week that Germany was ready to provide medical assistance to Navalny.
The human rights activist noted that the German authorities ensured security during this effort. "German kept its word and made every effort to make this [Navalny’s transportation] possible. There was no official participation of the German government," Bizil said.
Earlier on Saturday, Russian blogger Alexei Navalny was taken to Charite hospital in Berlin at nearly 10:30 (11:30 Moscow Time). The doctors are now examining him at the clinic.
A plane from the Siberian city of Omsk landed at Tegel airport in Berlin at 08:46 (09:46 Moscow Time) on Saturday. Initially, Russian doctors were against transporting Navalny, who is in a coma, over his unstable condition. On Friday evening, doctors said the patient’s condition had stabilized.
Upon the relatives’ request, a decision was made to transfer Navalny from the Omsk hospital to a German clinic. On Friday, a plane was sent for Navlany from Nuremberg to Omsk. The flight was arranged by Cinema for Peace human rights foundation.
On August 20, Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh reported that Navalny’s plane, en route from Tomsk to Moscow, had made an emergency landing in Omsk, because Navalny suddenly felt unwell. The blogger was hospitalized, he is currently in a coma and was put on a ventilator.