Navalny’s Widow Claims Poisoning Preceded His Death in Prison
The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, has alleged that her husband was poisoned shortly before his death in a prison in February 2024. Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, died while serving a 19-year sentence, which he asserted was politically motivated. He was 47 years old at the time of his passing.
In a video posted on social media, Navalnaya revealed that two independent laboratories outside of Russia had tested biological samples from her husband’s body. She stated that both labs concluded he had been poisoned but had not publicly released their findings due to “political considerations.” Navalnaya called for the laboratories to disclose their results, emphasizing that silence only benefits Putin and his regime.
According to Navalnaya, both laboratories, located in different countries, reached the same conclusion: “Alexei was killed. More specifically, he was poisoned.” In her video, she raised questions about the lack of surveillance footage from the prison and presented images that she claimed depicted vomit in Navalny’s cell on the day he died. Despite her allegations, she did not provide direct evidence that the poisoning was orchestrated by prison authorities.
Navalny’s death has sparked significant controversy, with Navalnaya repeatedly accusing Putin of being responsible. Russian officials have categorically denied these claims. During a press conference, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated he was unaware of Navalnaya’s comments and refrained from further comment.
On another occasion in August 2024, Navalnaya stated that Russian investigators had claimed her husband died from a combination of “a dozen different diseases,” ultimately succumbing to arrhythmia. Navalnaya rejected this narrative, contending that her husband had shown no signs of heart disease prior to his imprisonment.
Alexei Navalny previously survived an assassination attempt in 2020, when he fell gravely ill on a flight within Russia. He was subsequently transported to Berlin for treatment, where laboratories in Germany, France, and Sweden, along with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, determined he had been poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent.
While incarcerated, Navalny authored a memoir detailing his experiences and struggles against the regime. In a recent interview, Yulia Navalnaya described the memoir, titled “Patriot,” as her husband’s final act of defiance. She expressed her wish that he could continue his fight against the Kremlin while alive, rather than through his written words.
As the investigation into Navalny’s death continues, the international community watches closely, with calls for accountability rising amid ongoing tensions regarding human rights abuses in Russia.
