Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a remote Siberian prison two years ago, was almost certainly poisoned with a deadly toxin found in South American dart frogs, five European governments said Saturday.
A joint statement from Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands said they were “confident” Navanly had been poisoned after an analysis of samples taken from his body “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine,” and that the Russian government was the likely culprit.
“Russia claimed that Navalny died of natural causes. But given the toxicity of epibatidine and reported symptoms, poisoning was highly likely the cause of his death. Navalny died while held in prison, meaning Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison to him,” it continued.
The five countries said they were reporting the case to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, alleging Russia violated the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Russian authorities had previously claimed Navalny, 47, died of natural causes while serving several sentences totaling more than 30 years at a high-security prison above the Arctic Circle.
“Scientists from five European countries have established: my husband, Alexei Navalny, was poisoned with epibatidine—a neurotoxin, one of the deadliest poisons on earth. In nature, this poison can be found on the skin of the Ecuadorian dart frog. It causes paralysis, respiratory arrest, and a painful death,” she said.
“I was certain from the first day that my husband had been poisoned, but now there is proof: Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon. I am grateful to the European states for the meticulous work they carried out over two years and for uncovering the truth. Vladimir Putin is a murderer. He must be held accountable for all his crimes.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the poisoning shows that “Vladimir Putin is prepared to use chemical weapons against his own people to remain in power. France pays tribute to this opposition figure, killed for his fight in favor of a free and democratic Russia.”
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper added: "Only the Russian government had the means, the motive, and the opportunity to use that toxin against Alexei Navalny in prison. We are here today to shine a spotlight on the Kremlin’s barbaric attempt to silence Alexei Navalny’s voice.”
Russia announced Navalny’s death on Feb. 16, 2024, just as that year’s Munich Security Conference opened. On that day, Navalnaya delivered a speech, pledging that Putin “would pay for what they have done to our country, to my family, and to my husband.” After a weeklong dispute over custody, Russia released Navalny’s body to his mother.
Tankies will be the first to tell you Russia isn't communist and isn't anywhere near being Communist. We have to say that because Russophobia constantly conflates Russian with Communist and switches between them seamlessly. It's usually the rabid right wing chuds that think Russia is still full of commies.
Anti-imperialism is not an attribute, it's a movement. It's not something you are, it's something you do. When Russia acts against the EuroCentric world order, it is acting in an anti-imperialist mannerby default and there would need to be some additional analysis to establish that this action against the imperial world order is somehow imperialist in itself.
This debate over whether the annexation of Crimea and the invasion 7 years later constitute imperialism hinges on one's position on Russian security concerns. Those who see Russia's actions as anti-imperialist believe that Russia's claims of national security concern are real and salient. Those who see Russia's actions as imperialist believe that Russia's claims of national security concern are both totally not real and also cynical cover for imperialist ambitions.
We don't have to have that debate here, but you should understand the position of your opponents at least as well as they understand yours.
Also, anything negative said about Russia is a NATO CIA Nazi reactionary lie (apparently even when the Russians themselves are saying it)
There's a lot of history here, particularly around Stalin. There are many things said of Stalin that are both Western lies AND ALSO were said by the Soviet leadership. Both things can be, and are, true. But that requires an understanding of Kruschev, his program and ideology, his political ambitions and goals, and how it was received internally and internationally.
NATO being a Nazi reactionary body is a claim that comes from a couple places. First and foremost is the fact that the US selected Nazi officers to run NATO when it was formed. Second is Operation Gladio, the NATO program of funding, arming, training, organizing, and coordinating Nazi, neo-nazi, and adjacent reactionary movements all over Europe in the hopes they could use them to run revolutions anti-communist revolutions.
But anyway, tankies spend a lot of time understanding your positions in order to argue against them. You should do the same if you're going to try to argue against them.