Five European countries have accused the Russian government of poisoning opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a lethal toxin derived from dart frog skin, according to a joint statement reported by Reuters on Saturday. The foreign ministries of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands said that tests on samples from Navalny, who died two years ago, have conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine.”
“This is a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America that is not found naturally in Russia,” the statement added.
How Russia Killed Alexei Navalny With Dart Frog Poison
The countries also emphasized that Russia “had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison,” and indicated they were referring the matter to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for a potential breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
British Foreign Secretary Condemns Attack
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the attack, saying, “Russia saw 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 political opposition.”
Who Was Alexei Navalny?
Alexei Navalny rose to prominence as a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin, exposing alleged corruption and organizing large anti-Kremlin demonstrations. He died in February 2024 at an Arctic penal colony while serving a 19-year prison sentence, which he and his supporters described as politically motivated, according to Reuters.
His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, stated last year that two independent laboratories had concluded he was poisoned shortly before his death. She has repeatedly held Putin personally responsible—a claim strongly denied by Russian officials.
In 2020, Navalny survived a poisoning with a nerve agent, which he blamed on the Kremlin. Russian authorities consistently denied involvement. His family and allies arranged for him to be flown to Germany for treatment and recovery.
Five months later, Navalny returned to Russia, where he was immediately arrested and went on to spend the final three years of his life in prison, Reuters reported.
(With full inputs from Reuters)
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
