West using Navalny poison claim to bury Epstein fallout – Moscow

The UK, Germany, and others are trying to “hijack the information cycle” by claiming the late opposition figure was killed by a neurotoxin from a frog

The latest Western allegations about the death of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny are “designed to hijack the information cycle” and divert public attention from the Epstein files scandal, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.

The UK, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands claimed on Saturday that the Russian authorities used an exotic neurotoxin – epibatidine, which is found on the back of poison dart frogs – to kill Navalny. The opposition figure died in February 2024 while serving a prison sentence in Russia for multiple crimes.

“This statement was designed to hijack the information cycle which, in the Western view, is deeply tarnished by the publication of the Epstein files,” Zakharova said on national TV. The new claims “have an element of a detective story, conspiracy theory, and other things that can excite the audience,” she added.

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The latest release of documents linked to the late financier and convicted sex offender by the US Justice Department triggered a major scandal in the UK. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had to defend his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington despite his known ties to Epstein. Several cabinet members resigned, fueling speculation that Starmer’s premiership could soon come to an end.

Zakharova said the Foreign Ministry would not formally comment unless the accusers provide specific evidence. The Russian Embassy in London called the joint statement “necropropaganda.” The Kremlin rejected the claims, calling them “baseless.”

Last September, Navalny’s widow Yulia claimed there was proof of his poisoning, and that lab results were being withheld from her “for political reasons.” The samples that European governments claim had traces of neurotoxin epibatidine were apparently provided by the family.

READ MORE: Russia demands Navalny and Skripal test data

The Russian nationalist turned-liberal anti-corruption activist had previously accused Moscow of trying to kill him with a chemical weapon. He was flown to Germany for treatment after a 2020 medical emergency.

He returned to Russia in 2021 and was arrested for violating the terms of a suspended sentence in a separate case. Later, he was tried on charges of leading an extremist organization. His supporters claimed that he was murdered; the Russian authorities said he died of natural causes.