Britain and its European allies have accused Russia of using dart frog poison to kill opposition leader and anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny.

Britain, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands issued a joint statement saying that the investigation showed that dart frog poison was used    

Navalny was considered one of the few courageous people in Russia to campaign against President Vladimir Putin  At that time, Novichok nerve agent was found in his body while undergoing treatment in Germany.  After returning home on January 17, 2021, Navalny was arrested by Russian authorities at the airport in Moscow. He was then charged with extremism and sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Britain and its allies have claimed that dart frog poison was used against him before his death after analyzing samples of the material found in Navalny's body. They accuse Russia of deliberately bringing such poison to kill him.

Dart frogs are found in Central and South America. They eat insects, grasshoppers and small poisonous bacteria found in the forest. Through these bacteria, toxins such as batrachotoxin and epibatidine enter its body. European authorities have concluded that epibatidine was used to kill Navalny.

Epibatidine was previously being investigated as a painkiller and a treatment for lung inflammation. But it was not used clinically because it was so toxic. British toxicologist Jill Johnson said the toxin was about 200 times more potent than morphine.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the poison was used while Navalny was in prison. Moscow has denied the claim, Russian state media TASS reported.

Kapoor met Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, during the conference. "Russia sees Navalny as a threat," Kapoor said on the show.

She said the poison found in Navalny's body was not an accident but a planned conspiracy. It can affect receptors in the central nervous system, causing paralysis, slowing of the heart rate, respiratory arrest and ultimately death, Johnson said.

“This extremely rare neurotoxin is found only in small amounts in wild dart frogs, and only when the frogs eat a special diet that the poison enters their bodies,” Jill said.

“The dart frog epibatidine does not occur naturally in Russia. There is no innocent explanation for its presence in Navalny’s body. It is deliberate that Russia carried out this despicable act,” Kapoor added.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Navalny was a courageous man. “His determination to expose the truth has left a great legacy,” he said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also said his country paid tribute to Navalny. Noël said he was killed by the authorities while fighting for a democratic Russia.

Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has accused her husband of being poisoned. "I was sure from day one that my husband was poisoned, but now it has been proven," she said. "I am grateful to the European countries and states for working so carefully over two years to uncover the truth," she added.

Who was Navalny?

Navalny was born in 1974 in the Russian city of Butyn. Navalny came to prominence in 2011 when he founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) in Russia. He used to expose the corruption of Russian government officials and their associates on social media.

Similarly, he organized various demonstrations and campaigns in Russia against corruption. In a 2011 interview, he accused Russia's ruling United Russia party of being a party of criminals and thieves. His statement became very famous.

He was prosecuted by the Russian government on corruption charges in 2013 and 2014. Both charges were considered political revenge. In 2013, he competed for the mayor of Moscow. Where, he came second with 27.2 percent of the vote. He was barred from running in the 2018 presidential election.

In August 2020, he fell ill while traveling from Siberia to Germany. He was immediately rescued and taken to Germany. He was treated in a coma for about 18 days at the Charity Hospital in Berlin. During that time, the Novichok nerve agent was found in his body.

Navalny accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of involvement in his murder. He returned home in January 2021 after treatment, refusing Germany's request to remain in exile. He was arrested at the airport in Moscow.

He was charged with extremism. Mass protests took place across Russia after his arrest. Amnesty International recognized him as a political prisoner in May 2021. Navalny was sentenced to 19 years in prison by a Russian court.

He was last seen in the Arctic Penal Colony in Siberia in December 2023. Russia keeps prisoners, prisoners of war and other criminals in this remote area. He died mysteriously here on February 16, 2024. Russia denied the allegations. Russia's Foreign Ministry has denied the allegations made by European countries. "When the test results are available and the formula used is made public, we will respond," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She accused the West of spreading such propaganda to divert attention from questions raised against the government. The Russian embassy in London issued a statement calling it a circus act and propaganda. He said the report was fabricated to create anti-Russian sentiment in Western society. "Who would believe such an argument about a frog?" However, Western politicians bring up such issues as a way of mocking the dead.