According to five European nations, Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin using a rare and deadly toxin, typically found on the skin of poison dart frogs.
Officials from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands reported that European laboratories had analyzed samples from Navalny and “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine.”
This neurotoxin, known to be secreted by South American dart frogs, does not naturally occur in Russia, the countries stated.
The joint statement asserted that “Russia had the means, motive, and opportunity to administer this poison.”
The European nations released their findings on Saturday (Sunday AEDT), coinciding with the Munich Security Conference in Germany, which Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attended. This announcement also comes just before the second anniversary of Navalny’s passing.
Navalnaya previously indicated that two independent laboratories had concluded her husband was poisoned shortly before his death. She has consistently held President Putin responsible for the incident.
Russian officials have vehemently denied the accusation.
Navalnaya said on Saturday that she had been “certain from the first day” that her husband had been poisoned, “but now there is proof”.
“Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon,” she wrote on She said Putin was “a murderer” who “must be held accountable”.
Russian authorities said that the politician became ill after a walk and died from natural causes.
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