European Countries Accuse Russia of Poisoning Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny in Prison

Five European countries including Britain, France and Germany accused Russia of “poisoning” opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison in 2024 using a “rare toxin”, on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. “We know the Russian state now used this lethal toxin to target Navalny in fear of his opposition,” the UK foreign office said in a statement alongside Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Germany, ahead of the second anniversary of the death of the staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The “murder” of late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny in an Arctic prison in 2024 is now a “science-proven fact”, Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya said Saturday after five European countries said Moscow used a lethal toxic on the Kremlin opponent. “Two years ago I came on stage here and said that it was Vladimir Putin who killed my husband,” Navalnaya said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. “I was of course certain that it was a murder… but back then it was just words. But today these words have become science-proven facts,” Navalnaya added. Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, died in February 2024 while serving a combined 30½-year sentence at a remote, high-security penal colony above the Arctic Circle. Russia’s prison service initially reported that he had felt unwell after a walk inside the facility and later collapsed. Early reports in Russian state media suggested that a blood clot may have caused his death. That explanation was swiftly challenged by Alexander Polupan, a physician who had previously treated Navalny and said he did not believe the account aligned with Navalny’s medical history. Subsequently, Russia’s investigative committee concluded that Navalny died as a result of “a combination of diseases.” His family and supporters rejected the findings, alleging that authorities were concealing the true cause of death. Britain said it had notified the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, citing a suspected violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, according to a press release. Navalny’s death triggered widespread condemnation across Western capitals with several leaders directly blaming Putin. The Kremlin, in response, dismissed the accusations as “absolutely rabid statements.” Medecins Sans Frontieres suspended non-critical medical activities at Nasser Hospital in Gaza after reports of armed men and suspected weapons movement inside the facility. MSF cited security breaches and threats to the hospital's neutrality, but continues to provide critical care services. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry pledged to prevent armed presence in hospitals and take legal action against violators. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.