Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, announced on Wednesday that two independent laboratories have determined her husband was poisoned shortly before his death in a Russian prison. Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, died in February 2024 at the age of 47 while serving a 19-year sentence, which he believed was politically motivated.

Authorities reported that Navalny fell ill after a walk, but they have provided limited details regarding his death. In a video shared on social media, Navalnaya stated that biological samples from her husband were taken out of Russia and tested in two foreign laboratories. She claimed both labs concluded that Navalny had been poisoned, although she did not disclose the specific poison or provide evidence to support her claims.

"These labs in two different countries reached the same conclusion: Alexei was killed. More specifically, he was poisoned," Navalnaya said in the video. She also expressed concern over the absence of video footage from the prison and displayed images that she claimed were from Navalny's cell on the day of his death, showing vomit on the floor.

Navalnaya demanded that the laboratories publish their findings, urging them to stop appeasing the Russian government. "You cannot placate him. While you stay silent, he does not stop," she stated.

She has consistently blamed Putin for her husband's death, a claim that Russian officials have denied. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he was unaware of Navalnaya's statements and could not comment.

In August 2024, Navalnaya reported that Russian investigators told her Navalny died from a combination of various diseases, ultimately succumbing to arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat. She disputed this account, asserting that her husband had shown no signs of heart disease while alive.

Navalny had previously survived a poisoning incident in 2020, when he fell ill during a flight in Russia. He was later treated in Berlin, where tests confirmed he had been exposed to the Novichok nerve agent. Russian authorities have denied any involvement in that incident, a claim Navalny has challenged.