Moscow: The mysterious death of Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny has once again ignited international fury, with Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands issuing a joint statement accusing the Kremlin of poisoning him with a rare and lethal toxin called epibatidine.
Derived from wild frogs in South America, this deadly substance was allegedly detected in scientific tests on samples from Navalny’s body, the countries claimed.
The statement asserts that only the Russian state possesses the resources, motive, and disregard for international norms required for such an attack. “This violates the Chemical Weapons Convention,” the nations declared, vowing to raise the matter before the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). They emphasised the poison’s potency, which makes it a weapon of choice for covert operations.
Navalny, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin and corruption in Russia, was found dead in February 2024 at a remote Arctic penal colony while serving a 19-year sentence he denounced as politically motivated. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, had earlier corroborated lab findings of poisoning and directly blamed Putin, stating, “This was no accident; it was murder.”
Moscow has yet to respond to these fresh allegations, but the accusations could escalate diplomatic tensions between Russia and Europe. Analysts warn of potential sanctions or further isolation for the Putin regime amid ongoing scrutiny of its treatment of dissenters. As the world watches, Navalny’s legacy as a symbol of resistance endures, fuelled by calls for justice.