Overview
- The UK, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said laboratory analyses of samples from Navalny’s body conclusively found epibatidine, a potent neurotoxin linked to South American poison dart frogs.
- The countries argued that because Navalny died in custody, only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to administer the toxin, and they held Moscow responsible for his death.
- The five states notified the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of an alleged Chemical Weapons Convention breach, and the watchdog has not issued a public ruling.
- The Kremlin rejected the assessment as biased and baseless, with officials saying they would comment when full test results and formulas are disclosed.
- Yulia Navalnaya welcomed the finding as proof of poisoning and called for accountability, while Sky News reported British scientists at Porton Down played a key role and experts noted epibatidine can be synthesized.