Russian President Vladimir Putin says he personally ensured that opposition politician Alexei Navalny was treated in Germany after being poisoned in Siberia.
During the annual Valdi conference, Putin said he had acted on an appeal from Navalny's wife, Julia.
"There were travel restrictions against him due to a legal investigation and a criminal case, but still I asked the prosecutor to allow it and he left," Putin was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Navalny, a strong critic of the Russian president, fell ill on board a Siberian plane in late August.
Shortly afterwards, he was flown to Berlin for treatment for a suspected poisoning.
It was later established that he had been poisoned with the neurotoxin novitjok.
Recovering in Russia
Navalny has accused Putin of being the mastermind behind the poisoning - something the Kremlin has denied.
According to Putin, the fact that he let Navalny leave the country proves that the Kremlin did not try to oust the politician.
Last week, the EU and the UK imposed sanctions on Russia as punishment for the poisoning.
Russia has said the sanctions are unfounded.
Alexei Navalny was hospitalized in September and is now recovering in Germany.