Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny allegedly poisoned with dart frog toxin

Five European Countries Conclude Lab Results Confirm Deadly Toxin in Alexey Navalny’s Body

A joint statement from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands has confirmed that tissue samples taken from the body of opposition leader Alexey Navalny conclusively show the presence of a lethal toxin. The five countries stated that the UK, Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands are confident that Navalny was poisoned with epibatidine, a toxin found in wild dart frogs from South America.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been informed by the five countries, who report Russia to the convention for alleged breaches. The Russian government had previously denied any involvement in Navalny’s death, stating that he died from natural causes after a walk.

According to lab results, epibatidine can cause shortness of breath, convulsions, seizures, and a slowed heart rate, leading to potential death on contact. European scientists suspect that the toxin was manufactured in a laboratory, rather than being found naturally in dart frogs.

The five countries have called for Russia to be held accountable for its alleged violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper met with Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, at the Munich Security Conference, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that the alleged poisoning shows Vladimir Putin is prepared to use biological weapons against his own people.

The Russian government has yet to comment on the findings once they are publicly presented. Authorities initially reported that Navalny died from natural causes, but the five countries have concluded that the toxin was administered to him.

Source: Al Jazeera