By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Russian opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, died in custody after being poisoned with a lethal toxin derived from Ecuadorian dart frogs, the United Kingdom and several European allies have alleged.
According to the governments involved, forensic findings identified the neurotoxin epibatidine – a substance said to be about 200 times more potent than morphine, in Navalny’s body. Germany’s foreign minister described its effects as devastating, warning that victims can “suffocate in agony”.
The findings were disclosed by Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, during a press conference on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. She appeared alongside the foreign ministers of the UK, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Struggling to hold back emotion, Navalnaya said, “It was the most horrible day in my life. I came to the stage and I said my husband, Alexei Navalny, was poisoned.
“What else could happen to Putin’s number one enemy in a Russian prison? But now I understand and I know it is not just words. It is scientific proof,” she alleged.
Navalny died on February 16, 2024, at an Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence. He was buried in a Moscow suburb in March 2024. His death occurred while his wife was attending the Munich Security Conference.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said investigations conducted by the UK, Sweden and other partners confirmed the presence of the toxin.
“As a result of the work of the UK, Sweden and other partners, we have confirmed that a deadly toxin was found in Alexei Navalny’s body. And that toxin has been identified as a toxin that is found in Ecuadorian dart frogs,” she said.
Cooper accused the Russian government of being responsible, stating that “only the Russian government had the means, the motive and the opportunity to use that toxin against Alexei Navalny in prison”.
She added that the findings underscore what she described as the Kremlin’s willingness to silence dissent. Quoting Navalny, she said: “We must do what they fear — tell the truth, spread the truth. That is the most powerful weapon”.
Germany’s Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, described the poison as having “particularly strong” effects, while Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, emphasised the need for accountability.
“This is extremely important in order to hold Russia accountable and to continue to shine a light on their continuous lies,” she said, adding that the findings would be forwarded to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for further review.
The UK and its allies, including France, said they intend to formally submit their evidence to the global chemical weapons watchdog in the coming days.
It remains unclear how the toxin was allegedly administered. Epibatidine is associated with certain species of poison dart frogs native to South America and has historically been used by some Indigenous communities in blow darts for hunting.
Russian authorities had earlier attributed Navalny’s death to “combined diseases,” including an irregular heartbeat. The Kremlin has yet to respond to the latest allegations.
Navalny had previously survived a poisoning attack in 2020 involving a Novichok nerve agent. He later recovered in Germany before returning to Russia, where he was arrested and subsequently imprisoned.
