Alexei {{Navalny}} once led the [[opposition]] to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He died in a [[penal]] [[colony]] two years ago. Over the weekend, five European countries said he was poisoned by Russian authorities with a deadly toxin found in the skin of [[poison]] dart frogs. The frogs are [[native]] to South America and not found in the wild in Russia, they said.

Officials in the European nations had samples taken from Navalny’s body and studied in labs. They “[[confirmed]] the presence of epibatidine,” the countries said.

The foreign ministries of the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands released a statement about the findings. It read: “Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison.”

Navalny was the strongest leader and critic against Putin’s government. He led street protests and had a big online presence. He often posted video stories to record Putin’s [[accumulation]] of wealth and power, as well as evidence of high-level [[corruption]]. Navalny had been poisoned before, and barely survived. He returned to Russia to face charges of [[fraud]].

He died in an Arctic penal colony on February 16, 2024. He was serving a 19-year sentence there. Navalny’s [[widow]], Yulia Navalnaya, has said that two independent labs had found that her husband was poisoned shortly before he died.

She has repeatedly blamed Putin for her husband’s death. The [[Kremlin]] has denied that claim.

After the lab results were released, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on X that Navalny’s poisoning shows “Putin is prepared to use [[biological]] weapons against his own people in order to remain in power.”

On Monday, Russian officials flatly denied that they used a toxin from poison dart frogs to kill Navalny. They [[insist]] that he died of natural causes. Navalnaya, meanwhile, said the truth behind her husband’s death had finally been proven.

Reflect: What helps you decide what to believe when you hear different explanations about the same situation?

Photo of the grave of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny from Reuters.