Putin's nemesis was ‘killed by new poison leading to death in terrible agony’

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Alexei Navalny in 2017 (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Alexei Navalny in 2017 (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

‌Putin critic Alexei Navalny was killed by a new poison - which caused a slow death over several hours of “terrible agony”, a former Russian professor of information warfare has claimed.

Dr Valery Solovey said that the Moscow opposition leader’s food was laced with the toxin. The ex-professor at Moscow’s elite State Institute of International Relations, a key training school for spies and diplomats, said: “The [blood] clot was formed, rapidly formed, as far as I know, as a result of Navalny being poisoned with a new poison.”

Dr Solovey claims to have inside knowledge from the Kremlin. He told respected Russian journalist and author Yulia Latynina: “He was poisoned…before him…several people were tested for this poison. They were all prisoners. They all died in terrible agony. The poison, it's given with food…”

Putin's nemesis was ‘killed by new poison leading to death in terrible agony’ eiqrriqqriqzqinvRussian politician Alexei Navalny while in prison (Navalny team/east2west news)

Solovey - seen by critics as a conspiracy theorist - said the poison took several hours to take effect, and that a delay in handing over Navalny’s body to his family was linked to the desire of the authorities for the poison to wear off, to avoid detection. But he believed that foreign toxicologists would detect the poison “if samples are taken…and examined”. Russia also wants to stop Navalny’s funeral becoming a social point for dissent, he said.

Solovey claimed Navalny was poisoned to stop him being a player when - as he expects - Russia makes a transition to the post-Putin era after next month’s elections. He predicted other political prisoners would be killed, too.

Severed penis discovered lying on the ground outside petrol station car parkSevered penis discovered lying on the ground outside petrol station car park

He said: “They are cleaning up their tracks by removing all those who could be dangerous from their point of view.”

Solovey - with half a million online followers - claims that Russia is now in control of shadowy security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev, 72, and that when Putin is seen in public it is a body double.

The real president died in October, after several years of serious illness, he claimed. There is speculation that Patrushev intends his own son Dmitry, now agriculture minister, to be Russia’s next president. Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov also claimed the Russians are correct in saying Navalny died from a blood clot.

“I may disappoint you, but what we know is that he really died from a blood clot. And this is more or less confirmed,” he said.

There were signs today that Borisovskoe cemetery in Moscow is being cordoned off by police and security services ahead of a burial here for Navalny. Reports say metal detectors and CCTV cameras are being installed as the authorities seek to control the event.

Will Stewart

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