Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was likely fatally poisoned in prison, European leaders say

February 14, 2026

TL;DR

European governments, including the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, believe Alexei Navalny was fatally poisoned in a Russian prison.
Samples from Navalny conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a rare toxin.
These countries hold the Russian state responsible, stating Russia had the means, motive, and opportunity to administer the poison.
Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, stated her husband's death is now a 'science-proven fact'.
Navalny, a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin, had previously been poisoned with Novichok in 2020 and believed it was an assassination attempt by Putin.
He was jailed in 2021 and died in an Arctic penal colony in February 2024, with Russian authorities claiming he died of natural causes.
European leaders accused Russia of repeated disregard for international law and the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Continue reading the original article