Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died from poisoning by epibatidine, a potent toxin extracted from South American poison dart frogs, according to analyses conducted by multiple governments.
Navalny, aged 47 at the time, passed away in a remote Arctic penal colony on February 16, 2024, while serving a lengthy sentence on embezzlement charges widely viewed as politically motivated. His allies long suspected Kremlin involvement due to the threat he posed to the regime.
The Deadly Toxin
Epibatidine, 200 times more potent than morphine, originates from poison dart frogs native to South America. Indigenous tribes use it on darts and blowguns for hunting, where it targets nerves, inducing numbness and paralysis. This substance does not occur naturally in Russia.
Joint Government Statement
The governments of the UK, Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands released a joint statement asserting confidence in the poisoning conclusion. A spokesperson declared:
‘The UK, Sweden, France, Germany and The Netherlands are confident that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin. This is the conclusion of our Governments based on analyses of samples from Alexei Navalny. These analyses have conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine. Epibatidine is a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America.’
The statement highlights that Russia claimed natural causes for Navalny’s death, but the toxin’s extreme potency and matching symptoms point to poisoning. Given Navalny’s imprisonment, Russia possessed the means, motive, and opportunity.
Pattern of Violations
This incident echoes prior cases, including Russia’s use of Novichok against Navalny in August 2020 and the 2018 Salisbury attack that killed British woman Dawn Sturgess. Only the Russian state combines the capability and disregard for international law in these events.
The governments emphasize Russia’s breaches of the Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. Their representatives have notified the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons director general and expressed concerns over Russia’s incomplete destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles. Allies pledge to pursue all available measures for accountability.
