LONDON, UK — The foreign ministries of the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands say they are confident that late Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a rare and lethal toxin while in custody in a Russian prison.
The conclusion was released in a joint statement on Friday.
According to the governments, laboratory analyses of biological samples taken from Navalny’s body “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine,” a potent neurotoxin found in the skin of South American poison dart frogs.
This chemical is not naturally found in Russia and, they argue, suggests deliberate poisoning.
The UK, Sweden, France, Germany and The Netherlands are confident that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin. We and our partners will make use of all policy levers at our disposal to continue to hold Russia to account.
Accountability and International Law
The joint statement said that Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer the toxin while Navalny was imprisoned, referencing his detention in an Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19‑year sentence on convictions critics call politically motivated.
Western governments said they have reported the matter to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, citing breaches of the Chemical Weapons Convention and calling Russia’s actions a disregard for international law.
Wider Reactions and Context
Navalny, a long‑time critic of Vladimir Putin, died in February 2024.
Russian officials have repeatedly denied responsibility for his death, maintaining it was due to natural causes.
The recent findings come ahead of discussions at the Munich Security Conference, where Western leaders have echoed concerns about chemical weapons use and state‑sponsored repression.
Analysts say the announcement from European capitals underscores growing transatlantic tension over Russia’s treatment of political opponents and ongoing concerns about chemical weapon proliferation.
Western officials have vowed to use “all policy levers at our disposal” to hold Russia accountable for what they describe as a violent suppression of dissent through banned toxins — a charge Moscow vehemently rejects.
