- UK and partners are today exposing the tragic circumstances
surrounding Alexei Navalny's death and have confirmed there was
poison found in samples from his body.
- As Ministers meet at the Munich Security Conference, this
news comes on the two-year anniversary of Alexei Navalny's death
in a penal colony in Siberia.
- UK reporting the poisoning to the Organisation for the
prohibition of Chemical Weapons as a flagrant violation by Russia
of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and urges Russia
to immediately cease this dangerous activity.
The UK is today exposing the brutal and barbaric circumstances
surrounding the death of Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison.
Two years after the Munich Security Conference was shocked by the
news of the leading Russian opposition
figure's death, consistent, collaborative work has
confirmed through laboratory testing that the deadly toxin
found in the skin of Ecuador dart frogs (epibatidine) was found
in samples from Alexei Navalny's body and highly likely
resulted in his death.
Only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity
to deploy this lethal toxin to target Navalny during his
imprisonment in a Russian penal colony in Siberia, and we hold it
responsible for his death.
Epibatidine can be found naturally in dart frogs in the wild
in South America. Dart frogs in captivity do not
produce this toxin and it is not found naturally in Russia. There
is no innocent explanation for its presence in Navalny's
body.
Russia has brazenly developed and deployed this poison in
violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Russia's egregious
and irresponsible actions, including its barbaric full-scale
invasion of Ukraine continue to threaten our shared
security. Time and again the Russian state shows the
depths it is willing to go to terrorise people and undermine
democracy.
The UK has pursued the truth of Alexei Navalny's death with
partners from Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Germany. We
know the Russian state now used this lethal toxin to target
Navalny in fear of his opposition.
Today's announcement comes as the Foreign Secretary attends the
Munich Security Conference where she met with
Yulia Navalnaya to reflect on her husband's enduring
legacy and outlined the painstaking laboratory work that has been
carried out since his death in Russian captivity was discovered.
Foreign Secretary, said:
"Since Yulia Navalnaya announced the loss of her husband here in
Munich two years ago, the UK has pursued the truth of Alexei
Navalny's death with fierce determination
“Only the Russian Government had the means, motive and
opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin against Alexei Navalny
during his imprisonment in Russia.
"Today, beside his widow, the UK is shining a light on the
Kremlin's barbaric plot to silence his voice.
"Russia saw Navalny as a threat. By using this form of poison the
Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its
disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political
opposition."
The UK has informed the Organisation on the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons of Russia's blatant breach of the Chemical
Weapons Convention. Alongside partners the UK will continue to
hold Russia to account for its actions.
This alarming pattern of behaviour follows the targeting of the
Skripal's with Novichok on the streets of Salisbury in 2018 and
Russian troops frequent use of chemical weapons on the
battlefield in Ukraine.
It is clear Russia did not destroy all its chemical weapons as
claimed in 2017, and that it has not renounced biological
weapons, as it is obliged to under the Biological and Toxin
Weapons Convention.
The Kremlin believes that it can develop these weapons covertly
and without consequences. They are mistaken. The UK knows what
Russia is doing and will expose and combat this activity at every
opportunity.
The UK continues to stand with civil society and human rights
defenders tirelessly to build a better future for Russia despite
immense personal risk.
