Vladimir Putin 'probably has Parkinson's disease', ex-MI6 boss says

Sir Richard Dearlove said his contacts in eastern Europe believe something is medically ‘fundamentally wrong’ with the Russian president
Lydia Chantler-Hicks23 February 2024

Vladimir Putin “probably” has Parkinson’s disease, a former MI6 boss has claimed.

Sir Richard Dearlove, who was head of the British Secret Intelligence Service when Putin first came to power in 2000, told LBC his contacts believe something is “fundamentally wrong” with the Russian president medically, and it is “probably Parkinson’s”.

He went on to say he believes the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last week “was definitely murder”.

Dearlove suggested that paranoia - a symptom of Parkinson’s - on Putin’s part could have contributed to Navalny’s death.

Asked by LBC host Nick Ferrari on Friday morning “how well, or sick” Putin is, Dearlove responded: “I do not have a clear answer to that, but I have contacts and friends still in eastern Europe who think that there is something fundamentally wrong with him medically. But I’m not a clinician.”

He went on to say it is “probably Parkinson’s”.

“Which of course has different representations, different variations, different seriousness,” he added.

“But if the man is paranoid - and I think the murder of Navalny might suggest a certain paranoia - that is one of the symptoms.”

Russian opposition leader Navalny died last Monday at the age of 47, at the desolate penal colony in the Arctic circle where he was being held prisoner.

Rumours have long swirled regarding the health of Putin
AP

His sudden death, which came a day after he seemed in good spirits at a court appearance, remains shrouded in mystery. US president Joe Biden is among key figures who have blamed Putin for his death.

“I think one has to include it was definitely murder,” Dearlove, who was head of the British Secret Intelligence Service from 1999 until 2004, told LBC.

In May 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was forced to deny President Putin was seriously ill after several reports he was being treated for blood cancer. In July that year, CIA director William Burns said there was no evidence to suggest Putin was ill, adding, “As far as we can tell, he is absolutely too healthy”.

But months later, former British Army chief Lord Richard Dannatt said Putin’s hands - which appeared to bear strange marks and colouration - could suggest he was unwell and receiving injections.

Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.

The NHS says the main symptoms of the disease are involuntary body tremors, slow movement, and stiff and inflexible muscles.

The disease can also bring about a wide range of other physical and psychological symptoms, including depression and anxiety, insomnia, and memory problems.

The NHS does not mention paranoia as a symptom, but charity Parkinson’s Foundation says between 20 and 40 per cent of people with the condition “report the experience of hallucinations or delusions”.

The charity says Parkinson’s affects more than 10 millions people worldwide, and that it is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's.

Most people start to develop symptoms once they are over 50, with men slightly more likely to get Parkinson’s disease than women.

There is currently no cure for the condition, but there are treatments available to help those living with the condition maintain their quality of life.

The NHS website says: “Parkinson's disease does not directly cause people to die, but the condition can place great strain on the body, and can make some people more vulnerable to serious and life-threatening infections.

“But with advances in treatment, most people with Parkinson's disease now have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.”

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