A doctor who treated Alexei Navalny last year after the leader of the Russian opposition was poisoned died suddenly, the hospital where he worked announced on Thursday.
Sergei Maximishin served as deputy chief physician at the emergency hospital in Omsk, which immediately treated Navalny following the poisonous attack the opposition leader blamed on the Russian government. Maximishin died “suddenly” at the age of 55, the hospital said.
“We regret to inform you that … the deputy chief physician for anesthesia and resuscitation of the emergency hospital №1, assistant of the department of Omsk State Medical University, doctor of medical sciences Maximishin Sergey Valentinovich died suddenly,” the hospital said in -a statement reported by CNN.
The hospital’s statement does not mention the cause of death, although a spokeswoman for the Omsk Regional Ministry of Health later told CNN that Maximishin died of a heart attack, citing “preliminary data”.
Maximishin was tasked with treating Navalny after he was poisoned. Navalny was placed in a medical coma before being moved to Berlin for further treatment.
A top Navalny assistant noted that “it’s not uncommon for doctors his age to die suddenly.”
“[Maximishin] he knew more than anyone else about Alexey’s condition, so I can’t rule out the possibility of a bad game, “Leonal Volkov, Navalny’s chief of staff, told CNN.” However, Russia’s health care system is very weak and “It’s not uncommon for doctors his age to die suddenly. I doubt there will be any investigation into his death.”
CNN mentioned that it has no evidence of the involvement of a bad game.
Navalny was sentenced on Tuesday to two and a half years in prison after being accused of violating his 2014 parole requirements. Navalny claims that the allegations against him are not legitimate.
Russia has denied all Navalny allegations and shut down thousands of protesters who took to the streets in support of the opposition.