This is the first time that European governments have formally confirmed that they believe Navalny was poisoned
Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands are convinced he was poisoned with a lethal toxin in a penal colony two years ago, they said in a joint statement on Saturday. That was the conclusion of the five governments based on analyzes of Navalny’s samples, according to the statement issued in London and cited by Reuters.
The Kremlin critic on February 16, 2024. Analyzes conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poisonous dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia. “There is no innocent explanation for its presence on Nalavny’s body,” the statement said.
“Only the Russian state had the means, the motive and the disregard for international law” to carry out this murder, say the five countries, in the statement cited by , in which they hold the Russian state directly responsible for the death of Putin’s opponent.
Only Russia had “the opportunity to use this lethal toxin against Navalny”, the British Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Yvette Cooper, also stated at the Munich Security Conference, recalling that Navalny died during his incarceration in a Russian penal colony in Siberia. “Russia saw Navalny as a threat,” Cooper said. “By using this form of poison, the Russian state has demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it harbors for the political opposition,” he added.
The Russian government bears no responsibility for Navalny’s death.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated in X that these analyzes allow us to conclude that President Vladimir Putin is willing to use chemical weapons against the Russians. “Two years ago, Alexei Navalny died of poisoning by one of the most lethal nerve agents. We now know that Vladimir Putin is prepared to use chemical weapons against his own people to maintain his grip on power,” said Barrot.
Two years ago, Alexeï Navalny died following poisoning linked to one of the deadliest nerve agents. We now know that Vladimir Putin is ready to use chemical weapons against his own people to stay in power. France pays tribute…
— Jean-Noël Barrot (@jnbarrot)
Navalny, who fought against official corruption and organized massive protests against the Kremlin as President Vladimir Putin’s staunchest opponent, died in the Arctic penal colony in February 2024. He was serving a 19-year sentence that he believed was politically motivated.
Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, that two independent laboratories concluded that her husband was poisoned shortly before his death. Navalnaya has repeatedly blamed Putin for Navalny’s death, something Russian officials have vehemently denied.
However, this is the first time that European governments have formally confirmed that they believe Navalny was poisoned and that “there is a high probability” that he died as a direct result of the poisoning, specifically pointing the finger at the Russian administration.
The five countries say they will report Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for violating the Chemical Weapons Convention.
