Navalny's mysterious death: Poison symptoms erased from reports
Journalists from the independent Russian service The Insider have gained access to documents related to the death of Alexei Navalny. They show that the authorities deliberately removed mentions of some symptoms of the opposition leader, which did not fit the official version of his death. Doctors confirm that these symptoms indicate poisoning.
The Russian opposition leader died on February 15, 2024, in the Polar Wolf penal colony, located just 65 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. It was determined that no third parties contributed to his death. The official cause of death was stated as "heart arrhythmia." As a result, the Russian Investigative Committee concluded that the case "is not criminal in nature."
Journalists from The Insider obtained documents describing Navalny's last moments. They reveal that just before his death, Navalny complained of severe abdominal pain, vomited, and had convulsions.
two versions of one decision
The Insider obtained two versions of the decision to refuse to open a criminal case, signed by Judge Major Alexander Warapayev. In the first version, it can be read that "on 16 February 2024, convict A.A. Navalny felt a sharp deterioration of his health condition while in exercise yard No. 2 of the EPKT." He reported the symptoms to the duty officer, who took him inside. There, Navalny "lay down on the floor and began to complain of sharp pain in the abdominal area." "He started reflexive ejection of his stomach contents, had convulsions, and lost consciousness, which was immediately reported to the medical staff of the correctional facility," it was added.
Removed because it didn't fit
In a later version of the same decision (which became final), there were no longer any mentions of abdominal pain, vomiting, and convulsions. According to The Insider's journalists, these details were removed because they did not fit the officially stated cause of Navalny's death.
The Insider journalists also possess another document confirming that Navalny complained of abdominal pain and vomited before his death. It is a list of "seized objects," including "samples of vomit." However, there is no trace of the examination or the collected sample in later documents.
Attempted poisoning with Novichok in 2020
Alexander Polupan, who treated Navalny following his poisoning with Novichok in 2020, stated that the symptoms described in the first version of the document do not align with the official cause of death given by the Russians.
These symptoms cannot be explained by anything other than poisoning, he emphasized in a conversation with The Insider's journalists. He added that the opposition leader might have been poisoned with a substance similar to Novichok, but "it could have been used internally rather than locally."
Other doctors, who spoke to the portal, also agreed with this opinion.
In 2020, Navalny was taken with symptoms of poisoning to the German Charite hospital. After toxicological examinations, the government of Germany released a statement informing that the substance Navalny was poisoned with was a chemical agent from the Novichok group. The same agent was used to poison, among others, Sergei Skripal - a double agent who worked in both Russian and British intelligence.
