navalny: Russia’s Alexey Navalny died from dart frog toxin epibatidine, Europe claims
Five governments said they were sure Navalny was poisoned with this lethal toxin. The British government said that Russia had the means, motive and chance to deliver this poison. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said she would comment only after official test results are made public. The five countries said they would report Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for violating the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Details about Navalny’s death
There was no immediate response from the chemical weapons watchdog group. Navalny died on February 16, 2024, while serving a 19-year sentence in an Arctic prison, according to Al Jazeera. He always said that imprisonment was politically motivated. Navalny was known for fighting corruption and leading protests against President Vladimir Putin. Scientists believe that although the poison is found in nature, it may have been produced in a laboratory.
The poison can cause breathing problems, seizures, slow heart rate, and can kill quickly. The five countries said Russia should be held accountable for repeated violations of chemical weapons rules. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper met with Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, at the Munich Security Conference. Cooper said the new findings reveal a “barbaric conspiracy” by the Kremlin to silence Navalny. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the case showed Putin was ready to use biological weapons to stay in power.
Russia denied the allegations
The Russian government has repeatedly denied any role in Navalny’s death. Russian officials said Navalny fell ill after the march and died of natural causes. According to Al Jazeera, Zakharova said that without official test data, the claims were just leaks to distract attention from the West’s problems. It is still unclear how Navalny’s body samples were collected and tested. Cooper said British scientists were working with European partners to find the truth.
Navalnaya mentions the laboratory results showing that her husband’s death was a “scientifically proven” murder and says that the “murder” now has a scientific basis. Navalny has survived alleged attempts on his life before, including a nerve agent poisoning in 2020 that he blamed on the Kremlin. After his treatment in Germany, he returned to Russia and was immediately arrested. He spent the remaining three years of his life in prison.
Russia has previously been accused of poisoning its own citizens, especially spies and dissidents. Britain also investigated the 2018 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergey Skripal, as noted by Al Jazeera. This investigation concluded that Putin likely ordered the Novichok nerve agent attack. Russia has denied involvement in the Skripal poisoning. The 2006 poisoning of former agent Alexander Litvinenko in London was also rebuked by Russia; but a British investigation later revealed that two Russian agents had killed Litvinenko using radioactive polonium-210.
FAQ
Q1. Who said Alexey Navalny was poisoned?
Five European countries said Alexey Navalny was poisoned after laboratory tests found a deadly toxin in his system.
Q2. What poison was found in Navalny’s case?
Officials said tests showed epibatidine, a very dangerous toxin that can stop breathing and heart function.
