LONDON, Feb. 14 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
The UK, Sweden,France,GermanyandThe Netherlandsare confident that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin.
This is the conclusion of ourGovernmentsbased on analyses of samples from Alexei Navalny. These analyses haveconclusivelyconfirmed the presence of epibatidine.
Epibatidine is a toxin found inpoison dartfrogs in South America. It is not found naturally in Russia.
Russia claimed that Navalny died of natural causes. But given the toxicity of epibatidine and reported symptoms, poisoning was highly likely the cause of his death.Navalny died while held in prison, meaning Russia had the means,motiveand opportunity to administer this poison to him.
Russia's repeated disregard for international law and the Chemical Weapons Convention is clear.
In August 2020 the UK, Sweden, France, Germany, TheNetherlandsand partners condemned Russia's use ofnovichokto poison Alexei Navalny.
This followed Russia's use ofnovichokin Salisbury in 2018, which led to the tragic death of a British woman, Dawn Sturgess.
In both cases,onlythe Russian state had the combined means,motiveand disregard for international law to carry out the attacks.
These latest findings once again underline the need to hold Russia accountable for its repeated violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention and, in this instance, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
OurPermanentRepresentatives to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have written today to the Director General to inform him of this Russian breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
We are further concerned that Russia did not destroyall ofits chemical weapons.
We and our partners will make use of all policy levers at our disposal to continue to hold Russia to account.
Agreed bytheForeignMinisters of France, Germany, The Netherlands,SwedenandtheUK.
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