1 of 5 | Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnys mother Lyudmila Navalnaya, left, and his mother-in-law Alla Abrosimova, walk to lay flowers at his grave, two years after his death, at the Borisovskoye Cemetery in Moscow, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

MOSCOW (AP) Mourners gathered in Moscow Monday to mark two years since the death in custody of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny , under the shadow of a Kremlin crackdown and just two days since a new analysis reinforced suspicions that he was murdered.

Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024, while serving a 19-year sentence that he believed to be politically motivated. His death at the age of 47 left the Russian opposition leaderless and divided, struggling to build an effective or united front without one of its most visible and charismatic figures.

On the second anniversary of Navalnys death, we look at the latest investigation into its cause and the continuing political repercussions, both within Russia and beyond.

Across Russia, Navalnys supporters pay their respects

Navalnys mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya , and his mother-in-law, Alla Abrosimova, were among the mourners laying flowers on his grave. A mound of bouquets rose above the heavy drifts of snow that blanketed Moscows Borisovsky Cemetery.

Representatives from several European embassies also paid their respects, watched by a conspicuously high security presence. Later, a small choir gathered to sing by Navalnys graveside.

Addressing the crowd, Lyudmila Navalnaya restated her belief that her son was killed by the Russian authorities , a scenario which has also been backed by several European countries in recent days. We knew that our son did not simply die in prison, she said. He was murdered.

The Kremlin has denied the allegations, saying that Navalny died of natural causes.

Flowers were also laid at the memorial to the victims of political repression in St Petersburg. Access to the site was later blocked with temporary fences, local news outlets reported.

European nations believe that Navalny was murdered

The anniversary coincides with the release of a joint statement by five European countries, which said that Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with a rare and lethal toxin found in the skin of poison dart frogs.

The foreign ministries of the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said on Saturday that analysis in European labs of samples taken from Navalnys body conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine. The neurotoxin secreted by dart frogs in South America is not found naturally in Russia, they said.

A joint statement said: Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison.

In a written tribute to Navalny on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron also linked the Kremlin with the opposition leaders death.

Two years ago, the world learned of the death of Alexei Navalny. I pay tribute to his memory, Macron wrote on social media. I said then that I believed his death said everything about the Kremlins weakness and its fear of any opponent. It is now clear that this death was premeditated.

Truth always prevails, while we await justice to do the same.

Moscow has vehemently denied its involvement in Navalnys death, saying that the politician had become unwell after going for a walk.

When asked about the allegations by journalists on Monday, presidential spokesperson said that the Kremlin does not accept such accusations.

We consider them biased and unfounded. In fact, we resolutely reject them, he said.

Saturdays announcement came as Navalnys widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany. She said she had been certain from the first day that her husband had been poisoned, but now there is proof.

Putin killed Alexei with a chemical weapon, she wrote on social media, describing the Russian leader as a murderer who must be held accountable.

Navalny was the target of an earlier poisoning in 2020, with a nerve agent in an attack he blamed on the Kremlin, which always denied involvement. His family and allies fought to have him flown to Germany for treatment and recovery. Five months later, he returned to Russia, where he was immediately arrested and imprisoned for the last three years of his life.

Russias opposition is struggling to start a new chapter

Navalnys closest allies, as well as other key members of Russias opposition , now continue their fight from exile.

Many have been handed lengthy prison sentences in absentia in Russia and are unable to return home. Some have been designated terrorists and extremists by the authorities, a designation that was also applied to Navalny in January 2022.

Yet Russias opposition has failed to form a united front and a clear plan of action against the Kremlin. Instead, rival groups have traded accusations that some see as efforts to discredit each other and vie for influence.

In one small victory for opposition activists, Europes leading human rights body, PACE, announced in late January the creation of a new body the Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces tasked with giving opposition Russians a voice and a formal platform to engage European lawmakers.

It has been heralded as a victory for anti-war Russians, but also attracted criticism as the body was not elected democratically. Members of Navalnys anti-corruption organization are also absent from the group

In a statement to mark Navalnys death, Russian members of the Council of Europes human rights body, PACE, said that Navalnys death was an inevitable link in a chain of systemic crimes by the Kremlin regime against its own citizens and the citizens of foreign states.

Alexei Navalny gave his life for a free Russia, the statement said. We are obliged to ensure that his death was not in vain.

莫斯科（美联社）——周一，哀悼者聚集在莫斯科，纪念俄罗斯反对派领袖阿列克谢·纳瓦利内在羁押期间死亡两周年。此次活动正值克里姆林宫镇压阴影笼罩之际，而两天前的一项新分析进一步强化了他是被谋杀的怀疑。

纳瓦利内于2024年2月16日在北极流放地监狱去世，当时他正在服刑19年，他认为这一判决出于政治动机。这位47岁反对派人物的离世使俄罗斯反对派陷入群龙无首的分裂状态，在失去这位最具号召力的领袖后，他们难以建立起有效且团结的统一阵线。

在纳瓦利内逝世两周年之际，我们关注对其死因的最新调查，以及这一事件在俄罗斯国内外持续引发的政治余波。

俄罗斯各地民众悼念纳瓦利内

纳瓦尔尼的母亲柳德米拉·纳瓦尔纳亚和岳母阿拉·阿布罗西莫娃在悼念者之列，她们在其墓前献上鲜花。莫斯科鲍里索夫斯基公墓被厚厚的积雪覆盖，而墓前的花束堆成了一座小山。

多个欧洲国家使馆代表也前往吊唁，现场安保戒备明显加强。随后，一个小型合唱团聚集在纳瓦尔尼墓前献唱。

柳德米拉·纳瓦尔纳娅向人群发表讲话时重申，她坚信儿子是被俄罗斯当局杀害的。这一说法近日也得到了多个欧洲国家的支持。"我们早就知道儿子并非单纯死于狱中，"她说道，"他是被谋杀的。"

克里姆林宫否认了相关指控，称纳瓦利内死于自然原因。

据当地媒体报道，圣彼得堡政治镇压受害者纪念碑前也有人献花。随后该区域被临时围栏封锁。

欧洲多国认为纳瓦利内系遭谋杀

值此周年之际，五个欧洲国家联合发布声明称，纳瓦利内遭克里姆林宫使用一种罕见致命毒素下毒，该毒素提取自箭毒蛙皮肤。

英国、法国、德国、瑞典及荷兰外交部周六表示，欧洲实验室对纳瓦尔尼遗体样本的分析"最终确认了环氧巴替丁的存在"。这些国家指出，这种由南美箭毒蛙分泌的神经毒素在俄罗斯自然环境中并不存在。

一份联合声明称："俄罗斯具备实施此次投毒的手段、动机和机会。"

法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙周一在书面悼念纳瓦利内时，也将这位反对派领导人之死与克里姆林宫联系起来。

两年前，全世界得知阿列克谢·纳瓦利内逝世的消息。马克龙在社交媒体上写道：'我向他的记忆致敬。我当时就说过，我认为他的死亡道出了克里姆林宫的软弱及其对任何反对者的恐惧。现在很明显，这是一场有预谋的谋杀。'

真相终将大白，而我们也在等待正义的到来。

莫斯科方面坚决否认与纳瓦尔尼之死有关联，称这位政治家在散步后身体突发不适。

周一被记者问及相关指控时，总统发言人表示，克里姆林宫“不接受此类指控”。

他表示：“我们认为这些言论存在偏见且毫无根据。事实上，我们坚决予以驳斥。”

周六的声明发布之际，纳瓦尔尼的遗孀尤利娅·纳瓦尔纳亚正在德国参加慕尼黑安全会议。她表示，自己“从一开始就确信”丈夫是遭人投毒，“但现在有了确凿证据”。

她在社交媒体上写道：'普京用化学武器杀害了阿列克谢'，并将这位俄罗斯领导人描述为'必须被追究责任的凶手'。

纳瓦利内曾在2020年遭遇过一次神经毒剂袭击的中毒事件，他指责克里姆林宫是幕后黑手，但俄方始终否认参与其中。他的家人和盟友竭力争取将他送往德国治疗康复。五个月后，他返回俄罗斯，随即遭到逮捕并在此后三年直至生命终结都身陷囹圄。

俄罗斯反对派正艰难开启新篇章

纳瓦利内的亲密盟友，以及俄罗斯反对派的其他关键成员，如今在流亡中继续他们的斗争。

许多人被俄罗斯当局缺席判处长期监禁，无法返回祖国。部分人士更被官方列为“恐怖分子与极端分子”——这一标签也曾于2022年1月被加诸纳瓦利内（注：俄罗斯反对派领袖）身上。

然而，俄罗斯反对派未能形成统一战线，也未能制定出对抗克里姆林宫的明确行动计划。相反，各对立团体相互指责，外界认为这是在试图抹黑对方并争夺影响力。

反对派活动人士取得了一次小规模胜利：欧洲主要人权机构——欧洲委员会议会（PACE）于一月下旬宣布成立新机构“与俄罗斯民主力量对话平台”，旨在为俄罗斯反对派人士提供发声渠道，并搭建与欧洲立法者沟通的正式平台。

这被视为俄罗斯反战人士的胜利，但也因该机构未经民主选举而产生招致批评。此外，纳瓦尔尼反腐组织的成员也未出现在该团体中。

欧洲委员会人权机构（PACE）的俄罗斯成员在纪念纳瓦尔尼逝世的声明中表示，纳瓦尔尼之死是"克里姆林宫政权对本国公民及外国公民实施系统性犯罪链条中不可避免的一环"。

声明称：“阿列克谢·纳瓦利内为自由的俄罗斯献出了生命。我们有责任确保他的牺牲不会白费。”