Widow of Russian opposition figure Navalni claims he was poisoned to death

(AFP) The widow of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in February 2024 in unclear circumstances, said Wednesday that tests by Western laboratories showed her husband was "poisoned."

Navalni, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's biggest critics, died suddenly while serving a 19-year sentence in an Arctic prison colony on Feb. 16, 2024.

"Two laboratories from two different countries independently from each other came to the conclusion that Alexei was poisoned," Yulia Navalnaya stated in a video on Telegram.

As she specified, the results are based on "biological samples" that relatives of Navalny were able to "safely extract and transfer abroad" before his burial.

Without providing further details, Navalnaya urged the laboratories to publish their results independently and to specify what poison they believe was used.

Navalni's mysterious death

Navalni, an anti-corruption activist, managed to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people across Russia in protests against the Kremlin as he exposed the alleged illicit enrichment of Putin's inner circle.

The oppositionist had been poisoned as early as 2020 while campaigning in Siberia, and was then flown on an emergency evacuation flight to Germany, where he spent months recovering.

Upon his return to Russia in January 2021, he was arrested and sentenced to prison on a number of charges, including "extremism."

Nevertheless, the also lawyer continued his campaign against Putin from prison and even spoke out against the invasion of Ukraine.

Announcing his death in February 2024, Russian authorities reported that he died while walking in the prison yard.

Prison officials took days to deliver Navalni's body to his relatives, raising suspicions among his supporters.

His widow has always maintained that her husband was killed on Putin's orders, accusations rejected by the Kremlin.