Macron pledges support for Russia's Navalny

Macron pledges support for Russia's Navalny

International voices weighed in with concern after the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is now in a coma in a Siberian hospital.

Gloria Tso reports.

International voices weighed in with concern after the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Thursday (August 20).

Navalny is fighting for his life in a Siberian hospital after drinking tea which his allies believe was laced with poison.

And if confirmed, it would be the latest poisoning of people who have fallen out with the Kremlin, which denies settling scores with its foes by murdering them.

UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab wrote on Twitter that he was quote "deeply concerned" with the news about Navalny.

U.S. President Donald Trump says his adminsitration is looking into the matter, while his national security adviser Robert O'Brien told Fox News that quote "If the Russians were behind this... it's something that we're going to factor into how we deal with the Russians going forward." And French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters Thursday - France was prepared to help Navalny in any way possible.

"We are of course ready to bring any necessary assistance to Alexei Navalny, to his family and friends, with regards to his health and on asylum and protection, this is evident -- and we have talked about it for a long time." Belarusian activist Veronika Tsepkalo, who fled Belarus after receiving government threats of arrest, also condemned Navalny's alleged poisoning.

"I was really upset because he is one of the opposition leaders in Russia and of course it should not be the case in a modern country where the opposition leaders get poisoned, this is unacceptable." The incident coincides with a political crisis in Belarus, a close Russian ally.

It also comes ahead of regional Russian elections next month, which Navalny and his allies had been preparing for.