DISINFO: EU slaps sanctions on Russia over unproved poisoning of Navalny
SUMMARY
The European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow over unproved poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and general accusations of human rights violations.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets, denying Moscow’s involvement in the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. In reality, there is enough evidence of Russia’s traces in the Navalny case. A specialist Bundeswehr laboratory carried out toxicological tests on samples from Alexei Navalny. The results of these tests revealed unequivocal proof of the presence of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. The test was made at the request of the Charité – Universitätsmedizin hospital, where Navalny was receiving treatment after being flown from Russia to Berlin in August 2020, exhibiting symptoms of poisoning.
Russia keeps questioning the truth of these findings. However, several reports indicated in October 2020 that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had carried out tests on Navalny’s blood and urine samples, which showed that they contained a "cholinesterase inhibitor" similar to two Novichok chemicals. These chemicals were banned by the OPCW in 2019. The OPCW findings corroborated earlier independent conclusions by German, French, and Swedish laboratories. It means that there is indisputable evidence of Russian involvement in the poisoning despite Moscow’s denial.
Navalny fell ill during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow on 20 August 2020. The plane landed at Omsk, another Siberian city, where Navalny was hospitalised. He was later transferred to the Charité hospital in Berlin at the request of his family. When he returned to Russia after treatment in January 2021, he was immediately detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport. Prior to his return, Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) had said that Navalny might face jail time upon his arrival in Moscow for violating the terms of his probation in a 2017 criminal case. Navalny was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months behind bars. He is currently serving his sentence in a prison in Vladimir Region (Central European Russia).
See more disinformation cases about Alexei Navalny and similar reports about Russia’s involvement in Sergei Skripal and Alexander Litvinenko poisonings.