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In 2013, employees of the Moscow-based State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology, known by its Russian acronym GosNIIOKhT, published a scientific paper describing a method for producing epibatidine. In nature, the rare and deadly toxin is found only in Ecuadorian poison dart frogs. However, traces of the substance were found in samples from the body of Alexei Navalny, who died in a Siberian penal colony in mid-February 2024. Multiple European laboratories — in the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands — confirmed the finding.
Investigative journalist Sergei Dobrynin of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty drew attention to the existence of the paper on his Telegram channel earlier today. Its abstract says that “a preparative method for obtaining the analgesic epibatidine has been developed.”
GosNIIOKhT has previously figured in investigations related to the “Novichok” series of chemical nerve agents, military-grade poisons that were said to have been synthesized at the institute’s Saratov branch. Agents of the Novichok variety were used in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the UK in 2018 and of Navalny himself in Russia in August 2020.
In 2020 and 2021, GosNIIOKhT was added to sanctions lists by the European Union, United Kingdom, and the United States.
The news of epibatidine having been present in the opposition leader’s body broke during the Munich Security Conference. According to a press release put out by the UK government:
“Consistent, collaborative work has confirmed through laboratory testing that the deadly toxin found in the skin of Ecuador dart frogs (epibatidine) was found in samples from Alexei Navalny’s body and highly likely resulted in his death.
Only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin to target Navalny during his imprisonment in a Russian penal colony in Siberia, and we hold it responsible for his death.
Epibatidine can be found naturally in dart frogs in the wild in South America. Dart frogs in captivity do not produce this toxin and it is not found naturally in Russia. There is no innocent explanation for its presence in Navalny’s body.”
Westminster and its partners have reported the poisoning to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), accusing Russia of a “flagrant violation” and “blatant breach” of the Chemical Weapons Convention and calling Moscow to “immediately cease this dangerous activity.”