Russia has rejected a call by Germany to fully clarify the circumstances of the death of opposition figure Alexei Navalny in a Siberian prison camp, saying that amounted to meddling in its internal affairs.
"German representatives were informed that this situation is an exclusively internal affair of the Russian side, which, as has already been explained, will conduct a proper professional investigation in such cases," the Russian embassy in Berlin wrote on Telegram on Monday.
It comes after the German Foreign Office summoned the Russian ambassador on Monday over the death of Navalny, who authorities say died on Friday at the age of 47. They have still to release his body or produce an autopsy report.
In its post, the Russian embassy confirmed that Ambassador Sergei Netshaev had been summoned to the German Foreign Ministry. At the meeting, he explained the Russian view about the case, it said.
The embassy said the West was using the well-known dissident's death as a means to stir up anti-Russian sentiment.
