Berlin Senate Considering Schengen Visa Extension for Navalny

The German Schengen Visa of Alexei Navalny could be extended to the Senate by Berlin's executive council, so that he does not have to return to Russia.

The prospect of extending the visa was stated by Gunnar Lindemann, a member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) group in the Berlin House of Representatives, who also criticized the federal government and the Senate for taking too long to extend the visa.

"The Senate said that Mr. Navalny's potential extension of the Schengen visa is being considered," Lindemann added, adding that it is becoming increasingly apparent that the federal government and the Berlin Senate are gambling for the time being."

According to Lindemann, the case would probably be closed for a long time if the German law enforcement authorities were genuinely involved in investigating the suspected assault on Navalny. ”

"The idea of Navalny staying in Germany may be unpleasant to some such as Alexei Mukhin, Director-General of the Centre for Political Information in Russia, who ridiculed the move on his Facebook page calling Navalny a "German-based Ukrainian.

Something much more may appear to be granted to him a residency permit or citizenship. As a "Ukrainian" with German origins, it seems," Mukhin wrote, pointing out that it was not the German Foreign Ministry for some reason, but the Senate was considering the "extension.

"He also called the poisoning of Navalny a "loudly orchestrated operation" by some countries to "evacuate a foreign agent.

Alexei Navalny is a Russian opposition leader who attempted to run for President of Russia during the 2018 elections in December 2016, but was barred by the Central Electoral Commission of Russia in December 2017 because of his "previous criminal conviction."

During a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, Navalny was poisoned in August 2020. His health is now secure, but his Schengen visa is about to expire while he is in Germany.

The EU authorities claim that without the assistance of Moscow's security services the attack could not have been carried out because the Novichok-like material that Navalny was poisoned with is a nerve agent produced in the Soviet Union and Russia.

Only this month did the Kremlin declare that it would enforce EU sanctions, including bans on the entry of senior staff at the headquarters of Germany and France, in reaction to EU sanctions against Russia in the case of Navalny.