Alexei Navalny
Top diplomats from the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands say analysis of samples from the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny conclusively proves this was a state-ordered assassination.
The Foreign Affairs ministries of the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands released a statement this Saturday stating that they had completed an analysis of the death of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.
Samples from the late politician, who died in prison two years ago, “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine“, a deadly toxin extracted from a South American arrow frog.
“Only the Russian State had the necessary means, motive and disregard for international law” to commit the murder, the statement said, adding that will denounce the Kremlin to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for treaty violations.
“Russia claimed that Navalny died of natural causes. But given the toxicity of epibatidine and the reported symptoms, the poisoning was highly likely as the cause of his death. Navalny died while in prison, which means that Russia had the means, the motive and the opportunity to administer this poison to him,” declared the German Foreign Ministry.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper added: “Russia viewed Navalny as a threat. By using this form of poison, the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of the political opposition.”
Who was Alexei Navalny?
Former corporate lawyer Navalny entered politics to combat corruption widespread and electoral fraud that observers say have long kept Putin’s United Russia party in power.
He was arrested twice on embezzlement charges, which he and his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, say were manufactured to silence you. He survived an attempted poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok in 2020, a poison known to be used by Russian agents in political assassinations.
Navalny was detained in an Arctic penal colony when authorities announced his death, the February 16, 2024.
Navalnaya thanked investigators in a social media post and said: “Vladimir Putin is a killer. He must be held accountable for all his crimes.”
