Moscow Accused of Poisoning Navalny with Potent Nerve Agent
Munich, February 14 – Analyses of Alexei Navalny’s remains confirm he was poisoned with a powerful nerve agent, leading Germany, the UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands to accuse Moscow of his death. Navalny, a prominent Kremlin critic, died in Russian custody two years ago.
International Condemnation and New Evidence
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU), alongside his counterparts from the UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands, explicitly blamed Russia for Navalny’s murder. Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attending the Munich Security Conference, stated that this evidence proves Russian President Vladimir Putin is a murderer.
Yulia Navalnaya had previously addressed the Munich Security Conference two years ago, following initial reports of her husband’s death, calling for a fight against Putin’s regime.
Wadephul confirmed, “Two years later, we know: Alexei Navalny was poisoned in Russian captivity.” He further elaborated that Navalny’s remains contained Epibatidine, a highly potent nerve agent found in the skin secretions of poison dart frogs from Ecuador. “The effect of this poison is 200 times stronger than morphine. It paralyzes the respiratory muscles, and victims suffocate agonizingly,” Wadephul explained. Details regarding when, where, and how these analyses were conducted were not immediately released.
“Putin’s Henchmen” Responsible
“No one but Putin’s henchmen will be able to tell us in detail what happened on February 16, 2024, in the Russian penal colony,” Wadephul asserted. “It is clear: the Russian authorities had the opportunity, the motive, and the means to administer the poison to Navalny.” He emphasized that Navalny was not only the courageous face of the Russian opposition but had also been a victim of a treacherous poisoning attempt before, after which he was treated at the Charité in Berlin and subsequently returned to Russia.
Wadephul strongly condemned Putin’s actions, stating, “Putin tramples on international law and humanity every day, not only in Ukraine.” He added that Putin disregards his obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. The poisoning of Navalny must have consequences, the German Foreign Minister demanded, urging relevant bodies to address the issue. He confirmed that the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had been informed of the findings.
Navalnaya’s Plea for Justice
Yulia Navalnaya expressed gratitude to the laboratories in Germany, the UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands involved in the analyses. She described the day she learned of her husband’s death two years ago as the hardest of her life, stating she was certain then that he had been murdered. “What else could have happened to a young, charismatic opposition leader in Putin’s prison?” she questioned.
While acknowledging that it is “no news that the Kremlin chief is a murderer,” she added, “But now we have direct proof of it. And I very much hope that he will eventually end up in the dock and have to answer for everything he has done,” she said in a speech delivered partly in Russian.
Navalny’s Imprisonment and Death
Navalny was considered Putin’s most prominent opponent in Russia, consistently exposing corruption within the Kremlin elite. In 2020, he was poisoned and airlifted to Germany in a coma, where he received treatment at the Charité in Berlin. Upon his return to Russia in January 2021, Russian authorities arrested him at the airport, initially for alleged violations of earlier parole conditions.
Subsequently, Russian courts sentenced Navalny to lengthy prison terms, including for extremism. He was largely isolated from the outside world during his imprisonment. On February 16, 2024, he died in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle at the age of 47. Russian authorities attributed his death to natural causes.
International Calls for Accountability
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the presence of a deadly poison, originating from Ecuadorian poison dart frogs, in Navalny’s body. She stated that the Russian government must be held accountable, quoting Navalny: “We must do what they fear. Tell the truth, spread the truth. That is the most powerful weapon.”
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard highlighted the significance of this step in holding Russia accountable and exposing its continuous lies. “I am incredibly proud that together we were able to help bring the truth to light.” Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel remarked that the good news is that the truth always comes out. “The mills of justice may grind slowly, but they grind resolutely for Navalny,” he concluded.
Source: dpa-infocom, dpa:260214-930-686927/2
