A highly toxic substance, epibatidine – a compound naturally found in the poison dart frogs of Ecuador – was detected in tissue samples taken from the body of Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin critic who died in February 2024. The findings, first reported by Deutsche Welle, suggest a deliberate poisoning. Samples were reportedly taken from Navalny’s body and smuggled out of Russia for analysis in laboratories across several European countries.
Five nations – Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands – issued a joint statement on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, directly blaming Russia and President Vladimir Putin for Navalny’s death. The statement cited the restricted access to the prison where Navalny was held and the Kremlin’s clear motive to silence the opposition leader as justification for their accusation.
Official Russian Account of Navalny’s Death Contradicted
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the deceased opposition figure, stated at the Munich Security Conference that the findings now provide proof that the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin “is a murderer.” Navalnaya, speaking almost two years after a similar address at the Munich Security Conference, called for continued resistance against the Putin regime following the announcement of her husband’s death.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in Munich that the evidence now confirms “Alexei Navalny was poisoned whereas in Russian custody.” He explained that the remains contained epibatidine, a particularly potent neurotoxin. The substance, secreted by the skin of poison dart frogs in Ecuador, is 200 times more powerful than morphine. “It paralyzes the respiratory muscles, and victims suffocate in agony,” Wadephul added. Details regarding when, where, and how the analyses were conducted were not disclosed.
Wadephul asserted that “no one other than people around Putin” could explain the events of February 16, 2024, at the Russian penal colony where Navalny died. “the Russian authorities had the opportunity, the motive, and the means to administer the poison,” he emphasized, adding that Navalny was a courageous voice of the Russian opposition and had previously survived a poisoning attempt before returning to Russia.
Wadephul: Putin Disregards International Law Daily
Navalny’s death represents a devastating blow to those in Russia, and elsewhere, who continue to hope for a free country, Wadephul stated. “Putin tramples on international and humanitarian law every day, not only in Ukraine,” he added, accusing Putin of being indifferent to his obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Calls for accountability for Navalny’s poisoning are growing, and Wadephul said action must be taken in the appropriate forums. He informed the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of the findings.
Navalnaya: I Hope Putin Will Be Brought to Justice
Yulia Navalnaya thanked the laboratories in Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, and the Netherlands for their work on the analysis. “It was the hardest day of my life when I learned about my husband’s death two years ago. Even then, I was sure he was murdered. What else could happen to a young, charismatic opposition leader in Putin’s prison?” she said in Munich.
She added that it is no secret that the Kremlin leader is a murderer. “But now we have direct proof. And I hope that one day he will be brought to justice and held accountable for everything he has done,” Navalnaya said, delivering part of her speech in Russian.
Death in a Penal Colony Beyond the Arctic Circle
Navalny was considered the most prominent opponent of Putin in Russia, repeatedly exposing corruption within the Kremlin’s elite. In 2020, he was poisoned and flown to Germany for treatment at the Charité hospital in Berlin. Russian authorities arrested the politician in January 2021 upon his return to Russia, initially for allegedly violating the terms of a suspended sentence.
Russian courts subsequently sentenced Navalny to lengthy prison terms, including charges of extremism. While incarcerated, he was largely isolated from the outside world. He died on February 16, 2024, in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. Russian authorities attributed his death to natural causes.
United Kingdom: Moscow Must Be Held Accountable
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the detection of a lethal poison found in poison dart frogs in Navalny’s body has been confirmed. She called for the Russian government to be held accountable, quoting Navalny’s words: “We must do what they fear. Speak the truth, spread the truth. This is the most powerful weapon.”
Justice May Be Gradual, But It Will Come
Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Maria Stenergard, also called for Russia to be held accountable. “I am incredibly proud that we were able to jointly contribute to revealing the truth,” she said. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel stated that the good news is that the truth always comes out. “The wheels of justice may grind slowly, but they are working in Navalny’s favor.”
The case is part of a pattern of alleged assassinations carried out by Russian intelligence services. In 2018, Dawn Sturgess, a British woman, died in Salisbury, England, from exposure to the nerve agent Novichok – an unintended victim of an attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Two years later, Navalny himself was poisoned with Novichok but survived after treatment at the Charité hospital in Berlin.
Russia Has Not Destroyed Chemical Weapons
By presenting their findings to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the five nations accuse Russia of failing to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile, in violation of international agreements. The release of the findings at the Munich Security Conference also carries symbolic weight, as the news of Navalny’s death shocked attendees during the conference two years ago.
DPA/sier
