European Nations Accuse Russia of Poisoning Alexei Navalny, Refer Case to Global Chemical Watchdog
Five European governments have formally accused Russia of being responsible for the death of prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, asserting that he was exposed to a deadly toxin while incarcerated in a Russian penal colony.
In a coordinated statement released in London on Saturday, the foreign ministries of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands said laboratory examinations of biological samples linked to Navalny had definitively identified the presence of epibatidine — a highly toxic substance associated with poison dart frogs native to South America and not naturally occurring in Russia.
According to Reuters, the five governments concluded that Navalny had been deliberately administered the toxin during his imprisonment two years ago.
Their joint declaration stated that the scientific findings left them convinced that the poisoning was intentional.
The Associated Press reported that the countries said Russia possessed the “means, motive, and opportunity” to carry out such an act.
They also announced plans to formally raise the matter with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, alleging a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Moscow regarded Navalny as a significant political threat.
She argued that the alleged use of such a toxin illustrated both the extreme measures available to the Russian state and its apprehension toward dissent.
The Russian government has categorically rejected the accusations and denied any involvement in Navalny’s death.
Navalny, widely known for exposing corruption and mobilising anti-Kremlin protests, died in February 2024 while serving a 19-year prison sentence in an Arctic penal colony.
He had consistently maintained that the charges against him were politically driven. Russian authorities stated at the time that he fell ill following a walk and died of natural causes.
His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said last year that two independent laboratories had determined her husband was poisoned shortly before his death.
She has repeatedly held President Vladimir Putin responsible — allegations that Moscow strongly disputes.
Navalny had previously survived a 2020 poisoning involving a nerve agent, which he attributed to the Kremlin.
After being airlifted to Germany for emergency treatment, he recovered and returned to Russia in early 2021, where he was immediately detained. He remained imprisoned until his death.
The latest diplomatic move by European powers signals a further escalation in tensions, as they seek international scrutiny over what they describe as a grave breach of global chemical weapons norms.
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