Alexei Navalny was likely fatally poisoned in prison, European leaders say

European leaders announced on Tuesday that they are confident Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was likely fatally poisoned with a toxin found in South American poison dart frogs while imprisoned in Russia, citing his deteriorating health condition and recent suspicious circumstances surrounding his detention. The statement comes after weeks of mounting international concern about Navalny's well-being, following reports that his health has been rapidly declining in a penal colony where he is serving sentences on what supporters describe as politically motivated charges. The toxin in question, identified as a potent neurotoxin typically found in poison dart frogs native to the Amazon rainforest, has been detected in Navalny's system according to sources familiar with the case. This rare substance suggests a sophisticated assassination attempt, potentially orchestrated by state actors with access to such specialized chemical agents. Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, survived a previous assassination attempt in 2020 when he was poisoned with a nerve agent known as Novichok, an incident that was widely attributed to Russian intelligence services. The European Union has condemned the alleged poisoning as a grave violation of human rights and the rule of law, with several countries indicating they may impose additional sanctions on Russia in response.