Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by deadly 'dart frog' toxin, Europeans say

Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny died in prison after being poisoned with a powerful toxin derived from Ecuadorian poison dart frogs, according to a joint statement released Saturday by the United Kingdom and several European allies. Officials said laboratory analysis of samples taken from Navalny confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a lethal substance found in certain South American frogs and not naturally occurring in Russia. They said the findings point to deliberate poisoning as the only plausible explanation for his death.

Russia’s prison service had reported in February 2024 that Navalny, 47, died after feeling unwell following a walk at the high-security penal colony above the Arctic Circle where he was serving a combined sentence of more than 30 years. Western officials have consistently disputed that account.

In a joint statement, the U.K., along with Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands, said they were confident Navalny had been poisoned. The statement noted that epibatidine originates from poison dart frogs in South America and emphasized that the toxin is not found in Russia, reinforcing suspicions of foul play. It remains unclear how the substance was administered.

Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, announced the results of the Western investigation during a press conference held alongside European foreign ministers at the Munich Security Conference. She said she had believed from the moment she learned of her husband’s death that it was murder and declared that the scientific findings now support that belief.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said only the Russian government had the motive, means and opportunity to carry out such an act within a prison facility. She described the alleged poisoning as an attempt by the Kremlin to silence Navalny. The U.K. has formally notified the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, alleging a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also condemned the alleged use of a biological toxin, accusing President Vladimir Putin of being willing to deploy such methods to retain power.

Since her husband’s death, Navalnaya has continued his anti-corruption activism and opposition to the Kremlin. In September, she revealed that biological samples had been transferred abroad for testing to determine the cause of death, though she did not disclose details about the process or the countries involved.

Navalny’s death prompted widespread condemnation from Western leaders, many of whom directly blamed Putin. Then-President Joe Biden said he was not surprised but outraged by the news. The Kremlin dismissed those accusations as extreme and unfounded.

Following his death, Navalny’s allies said his mother and lawyers were initially denied access to his body, and authorities reportedly extended their investigation into the cause of death. Navalnaya accused officials of withholding his remains to conceal evidence. Navalny had previously survived a 2020 poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent, which he attributed to Putin.

His body was returned to his family about a week after his death, and thousands gathered in Moscow for his funeral. In the days that followed, hundreds of people across Russia were detained for laying flowers at memorials in his honor.

Source: NBC NEWS