❗️Alexei Navalny was poisoned. The examination results. We have obtained the results of an independent examination of Alexei Navalny’s biological samples, which were taken out of Russia after his death in prison. We now know with certainty that Alexei was poisoned — and we know exactly with what. Today, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands publicly confirmed the poisoning. Laboratories identified epibatidine in the samples — a powerful neurotoxin derived from the skin of an Ecuadorian poison dart frog. This substance is classified as a prohibited chemical agent. Only the Russian authorities had the motive, the means, and the opportunity to administer such a toxin inside a high-security penal colony. We now know the truth: Vladimir Putin poisoned Alexei Navalny with a chemical weapon.

It turns out that, for Europe, it doesn’t really matter whether you support the war or not, whether you are friends with Putin or oppose him. In the end, what seems to matter far more is how much money you have in your bank accounts. If you are rich, own a couple of yachts, and have the right connections, it appears that sanctions can be lifted without too much trouble. But if you fled Russia with little more than a few belongings because of political persecution or mobilisation, because you do not support the war, then it is a different story: you may be denied a visa, refused a bank account, confronted with countless obstacles, and effectively pushed back into the embrace of Putin’s system. And, on top of that, accused of supporting the war. Thank you to the European Comission for yet another reminder that, in high politics, money still speaks louder than principles, while the fate of ordinary people often ends up somewhere far down the list of priorities. Viva European Comission! Viva money and Putin’s oligarchs! 🥂

This disgraceful decision makes the contrast perfectly clear: the EU’s hardline statements about the need to stand up to Russia, and its simultaneous capitulation to Putin and his regime. I shall quote Alexei Navalny: There is no need to impose sanctions on Russia. Sanctions far harsher than those now in force should be imposed on those who plunder Russia, make its people poorer and rob them of their future. That is exactly what they should be called: a “sanctions package in support of the Russian people, against corruption, lies and tyranny”. By lifting the sanctions on Fridman and Usmanov, the European Union is doing precisely the opposite: it is helping Vladimir Putin’s regime and harming the people of Russia.

Putin’s oligarchs have won. Shameful.

The EU is close to removing two key Putin-linked oligarchs, Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov, from its sanctions list. Both are important figures in Putin’s regime and have close ties to him. This is a deeply troubling and concerning decision and a clear signal to Putin’s friends that money and connections can help them get around sanctions.

RT @maxcoccia: Una lunga inchiesta internazionale sulle attività dell’intelligence russa in Italia, condotta per settimane insieme a dissid…

Putin is a murderer. His agents continue to hunt down critics of the regime even abroad. justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/mem…

1. This thread is addressed to 🇫🇷 France’s @francediplo and @francediplo_EN, which, according to media reports, has backed the removal of Putin’s oligarch Alisher Usmanov from the EU sanctions lists. The words “huge frustration,” which journalists use to describe the reaction to France’s position, are only a pale shadow of the real emotions. But decisions are not taken on emotion. They are taken on facts. So I will set out, with links to investigations, how central a figure Alisher Usmanov is to the Kremlin and to the system Putin has built — and how wrong and counterproductive it would be to lift sanctions on him.

❗️We found luxury real estate in the West owned by yet another deputy from Putin’s United Russia party. Yevgeny Apostolov has been making money from a chain of pawnshops in the city of Astrakhan for decades. With that money, his family purchased €8.7 million worth of real estate in Marbella, Spain. Some of the apartments are rented out to tourists on a short-term basis. Apostolov is now running for a seat in the State Duma.

🔛🔹Far vincere la democrazia 🗣️A Ventotene il dialogo tra 🔹Yulia Navalnaya, Leader dell’opposizione politica russa 🔹VP PE @pinapic Vicepresidente del Parlamento europeo 🔹Pietro Guastamacchia @Euractiv 📡 piped.video/live/haDWX9GkM8U…

We have found real estate in Italy 🇮🇹 owned by a member of Putin’s United Russia party. Alexey Denisenko actively criticizes the West and supports all of Putin’s initiatives, including the war against Ukraine. Despite this, two apartments in the Italian city of Civitanova Marche are registered in the name of his 70-year-old mother. Denisenko is now planning to run for the Russian State Duma.

A map of Alexei Navalny memorials around the world We’ve compiled a list and map of memorials dedicated to Alexei Navalny on the Archive’s website. Now, at navalny.com/memorials, you can find streets and squares named after Alexei, commemorative plaques, murals, and other memorial sites around the world.

❗️ The family of Russia’s Foreign Minister are citizens of the UAE 🇦🇪 Navalny’s team found out that Lavrov’s mistress and her daughter received UAE passports in December 2022. Previously, Navalny’s team found British real estate and documents belonging to Lavrov’s stepdaughter and achieved sanctions against her.

❤️‍🔥 This week, the Anti-Corruption Foundation turns 15. September 9 marks our birthday, and today we’re kicking off a week of celebrations that we want to share with you. For 15 years, ACF has been able to continue its work thanks to the support of ordinary people. Your support allows us to remain independent, publish investigations, run political campaigns, and continue Alexei Navalny’s work. 🔷 To mark our 15th anniversary, we’re launching an auction featuring a collection of unique lots. Register and take part here: givebutter.com/c/acf_bday/au… 🔷 And if you simply want to support our work, consider setting up a recurring donation. For every recurring donation of $15 or more made this week, we’ll send you a postcard signed by a member of our team. Support ACF: donate.fbk.info/en/smm

If you have not yet read our investigation into how Vladimir Putin owns the largest stake in Russia’s second-largest marketplace, you can do so via the link fbk.info/ru/investigations/o… 🧵 I will share the key facts of the investigation. They say a great deal about the Russian economy — and about business journalism.

🔥 Putin’s money is going up in flames. We have found that 34% of the shares in Ozon, one of Russia’s largest online marketplaces, were purchased on behalf of Vladimir Putin. The money for the acquisition came from Putin’s friend, oligarch Gennady Timchenko. Ozon has recently become a target of Ukrainian drone strikes. Putin — indifferent to the thousands of deaths in this senseless war and to the small businesses it has destroyed — is now losing his own money. During the war against Ukraine, Russia is witnessing the largest redistribution of private property in favor of Putin and his inner circle. We demand sanctions against the key individuals and companies involved in the scheme that conceals Putin’s ownership of Ozon shares! @eu_eeas

❗️An MP representing one of Russia’s poorest regions owns more than €7 million worth of property on Italy’s Lake Como. We also uncovered luxury real estate in Moscow and a fleet of expensive cars. He hides all this luxury from his constituents: according to official documents, everything is registered in the name of his secret wife. We have called on the Italian government to freeze Mikhail Starshinov’s property.

We have appealed to the Italian🇮🇹 government with a demand to freeze the real estate around Lake Como controlled by a Russian corrupt official and supporter of the war against Ukraine. He has been under EU sanctions since 2022, but we discovered a large amount of his assets that remain unfrozen. Today @ACF_int published an investigation (fbk.info/ru/investigations/s… ) into Mikhail STARSHINOV — a deputy of the Russian federal parliament who used corrupt income to buy expensive real estate in Italy and in Russia. To avoid the obligation to declare property in a NATO country that the deputy calls for fighting against, he registered the real estate in the name of his de facto wife, with whom he has been in a relationship for 30 years and has two adult children. This marriage is not officially registered, which allows the sanctioned Russian corrupt official to hide the property both from Russian voters and from the Italian authorities. We filed an official application for the freezing of the assets, since they are in fact controlled by the sanctioned person through a nominal owner. We hope this story will interest @MEF_GOV and Italian politicians like @pinapic and @CarloCalenda, who don't want Italy to become a safe haven for Putin's criminals.

We've published an investigation into Rustam Minnikhanov, the head of Tatarstan. He oversees the Alabuga special economic zone, where "Shahed" drones are manufactured and people are recruited for the war in Ukraine. Watch with English subtitles: piped.video/jD0lA8NURpY?si=7QC5… Minnikhanov is still not under EU sanctions. Why? Make it happen!