In a significant development in the diplomatic crisis between the West and Moscow, five major European countries – Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands – have formally and directly accused the Russian authorities of being behind the murder of prominent political opponent Alexei Navalny in his prison cell in 2024. This joint announcement came on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, based on the results of detailed laboratory investigations conducted on biological samples.
Scientific evidence: A rare poison from Ecuador
The joint statement, spearheaded by the British Foreign Office, revealed horrifying details about the instrument used in the assassination. The five countries explained that laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of traces of a rare toxin commonly found in the skin of Ecuadorian dart frogs. The British Foreign Office asserted that this discovery points to a coordinated and organized act, strongly suggesting that this toxin was the direct cause of death, thus refuting previous claims of natural causes.
Historical context: From Novichok to the polar prison
This latest accusation cannot be separated from the long history of conflict between Navalny and the Kremlin. The Russian opposition figure miraculously survived a previous poisoning attempt in 2020 using the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. He received treatment in Germany before courageously returning to Russia in early 2021, only to be arrested upon arrival. Navalny has spent his final years in harsh conditions in a remote penal colony in the Arctic Circle, known as the “Arctic Wolf,” where he has been subjected to repeated solitary confinement and denial of proper medical care. This latest poisoning incident appears to be the latest in a series of systematic targeting.
International action and anticipated escalation
On the diplomatic and legal front, Britain announced its intention to refer the matter to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), describing the incident as a “flagrant violation” of international conventions by Russia. This move carries profound political implications, placing Moscow under renewed international pressure and potentially paving the way for new sanctions. The five countries demanded that Moscow “immediately cease this dangerous activity” targeting political opponents both domestically and abroad.
Confirming the family's hypotheses
For her part, Yulia Navalnya, the widow of the late opposition leader, considered these findings a victory for truth. Commenting on the report, she said, “Two years ago I said that Vladimir Putin killed my husband, and today those words have been scientifically proven.” Navalnya had led a broad international campaign since her husband’s death demanding an independent investigation, maintaining since last September that he was poisoned—a theory now supported by international forensic evidence.
