Allegations of Poisoning: Alexei Navalny's Widow Claims Evidence of Murder

Tue Sep 23 2025 09:08:30 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Yulia Navalnaya asserts that her husband, Alexei Navalny, was poisoned while incarcerated, following the analysis of biological samples by two laboratories. This claim intensifies the scrutiny of the Russian government's involvement in his demise.

In a poignant announcement, Yulia Navalnaya revealed that her husband, Alexei Navalny, was allegedly poisoned during his imprisonment in 2024. Citing analyses from two international laboratories, she proclaimed his death a murder. Navalny, an emblematic figure of opposition in Russia and a staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin, passed away under mysterious circumstances. His supporters continue to suspect state involvement in his untimely death, as calls for transparency surrounding the autopsy results grow from his widow and its implications for the Russian political landscape.

The wife of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has stated he was killed by poisoning while serving a prison sentence in an Arctic penal colony in 2024.

In a video shared on social media, Yulia Navalnaya claimed that analysis of smuggled biological samples conducted by laboratories in two countries confirmed that her husband had been murdered.

While she did not disclose details regarding the poison, the samples, or the analysis, she challenged the laboratories to publish their findings.

Navalny, well-known as an anti-corruption campaigner and one of Russia's most vocal opposition leaders, died suddenly in jail on February 16, 2024, at the age of 47.

Previously, in 2020, he survived a poisoning incident involving a Novichok nerve agent. After recovering in Germany, he was arrested upon his return to Russia.

When he died, he was already three years into an unjust prison sentence and had recently been transferred to the Arctic penal colony.

Navalny’s associates have remained steadfast in alleging that the Russian government orchestrated his death.

According to Navalnaya's assertions, following her husband's demise, his team managed to secure biological samples and transfer them abroad. Two foreign labs reportedly concluded that he was indeed poisoned, although she did not identify these laboratories, hinting that political motives often stifle the publication of such findings.

She expressed frustration over the lack of cooperation from authorities in pursuing justice for her husband's death, emphasizing her moral obligation to seek the truth.

I affirm that Vladimir Putin is guilty of killing my husband, Alexei Navalny... I urge the laboratories which conducted studies to make the results public, Navalnaya proclaimed.

The Kremlin has responded nonchalantly to these claims, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claiming ignorance of Navalnaya's statements.

The video also detailed Navalny's final hours, recounting the testimony of prison employees who reportedly witnessed his painful decline after a walk. Allegedly, he experienced severe symptoms, yet an ambulance was not summoned until it was too late.

His death came as a shock, with state investigators dismissing it as a natural occurrence, amid ongoing suspicions of foul play.

Navalny's demise has left a significant void in the Russian opposition landscape, sparking widespread protests and mourning despite severe government crackdowns on dissent.

Now living abroad, Navalnaya feels the weight of her husband's legacy and the danger that continues to loom over advocates for political change in Russia.