Russia rejects 'unfounded' accusations that Navalni died of poisoning as his mother demands justice

The Kremlin on Monday dismissed as "unfounded" allegations by five European countries that opposition figure Alexei Navalny died from poisoning with a "rare toxin" while in Russian prison exactly two years ago.

The charismatic anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalni, who strongly opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin and the offensive against Ukraine launched in 2022, died in prison on Feb. 16 2024, aged 47.

The United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands accused Moscow of having "poisoned" him, according to the findings of an investigation published on Saturday.

"We do not accept such accusations"

"Naturally, we do not accept such accusations. We do not agree with them. We consider them biased and unfounded," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, told journalists, including AFP, during a daily telephone press briefing.

Early Monday, the opposition figure's mother demanded "justice" for her son, speaking near his grave, where dozens of people gathered, despite the risks, to remember Navalny on the occasion of the second anniversary of his death.

"We knew that our son did not simply die in prison, he was murdered"

"This confirms what we already knew from the beginning. We knew that our son did not simply die in prison, he was murdered," the mother, Liudmila Navalnaya said from the Borisovskoye cemetery in Moscow.

"I think it will take some time but we will find out who did it. Of course, we want that to happen in our country and for justice to prevail," she told reporters. "I already said that those who gave that order are known all over the world, I keep repeating that. And we want those who took part [in Navalny's death] to be identified," she insisted.

This Monday, the opponent's grave was covered with flowers and a religious ceremony was also officiated. In Russia, authorities have banned organizations set up by Alexei Navalni for "extremism" and "terrorism, and any public support for his movement is liable to prosecution.

Ecuador dart frog toxin

The United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands on Saturday revealed the results of an investigation conducted thanks to samples smuggled out of Russia after his death.

This investigation concluded that Navalni had been "poisoned" with a "rare toxin" present in the skin of Ecuadorian dart frogs, epibatidine, according to a joint statement released on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

"Only the Russian state had the means, a motive and the opportunity to use this lethal toxin," noted the statement's authors, who hold Moscow responsible "for his death" during his incarceration in a Russian prison in Siberia.

The widow considers that the murder is now "proven" by science

His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, claimed Saturday that "the murder" of her husband is now "proven by science."

Moscow has always rejected these accusations, without providing a full explanation for his death, stating simply that he had succumbed suddenly after a walk in his prison colony.

Vladimir Putin, who uttered his opponent's name for the first time only after his death, had previously mentioned a "sad event," adding that "there have been other cases where people have died in custody."

Following the death of the oppositionist, the authorities refused for several days to release his body to his next of kin, arousing suspicions among his supporters.

Weakened opposition

Alexei Navalny was serving a 19-year sentence in an Arctic prison. In 2020, he had narrowly survived a severe poisoning and, on the verge of death, ended up being treated in Germany. Upon his return to Russia in January 2021, he was immediately arrested and subsequently sentenced to several severe punishments that he denounced as political.

The Russian liberal opposition, weakened by the Kremlin's persecutions, has not recovered from his death. Living in exile, Navalnaya took the reins of her husband's movement, failing for now to gain the upper hand.

Undermined by internal divisions, the Russian opposition is also reluctant to show too marked support for Kiev for fear of alienating Russians and destroying any hope of a future political career, which brings it criticism in Ukraine and in the West.

By focusing his activism on fighting corruption and malfeasance by political and economic elites, Alexei Navalni remains the only opposition figure who has managed to convince thousands of Russians, mainly young urbanites, to demonstrate against Vladimir Putin, in power since late 1999.