European nations accuse Russia of poisoning Alexei Navalny with rare frog toxin

Five European countries have concluded that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was “highly likely” killed in 2024 with a rare toxin derived from poison dart frogs.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany and Netherlands said forensic tests confirmed the presence of epibatidine in samples taken from Navalny’s body. The substance, a powerful neurotoxin found in poison dart frogs, does not occur naturally in Russia, they noted.

The countries rejected claims by authorities in Moscow that Navalny died of natural causes, stating that Russia had the “means, motive and opportunity” to administer the poison while he was being held in a Siberia penal colony.

The statement adds fresh international pressure on Russia and intensifies scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding the death of one of the Kremlin’s most prominent critics.