Most of you will likely disagree, based on their current public image vs. Russia's, but ask yourselves what the known facts are.
> One who has brazenly done this sort of attack before and has a very obvious recent history of silencing dissidents?
It is just "obvious" if you are a firm believer in accusations made by the "West".
Your baseless tinfoil skepticism is extremely useful to fascists like Putin who thrive off of spreading disinformation and uncertainty.
Do Western countries lie to benefit themselves geopolitically? Of course they do, but let's apply Occam's Razor here and not go looking for a global conspiracy when the answer and motivations are so blatant.
Considering Putin has had journalists and opposition leaders killed before, and the Russian government tried to prevent the opposition from leaving the country or seeing outside doctors, one has to choose an answer which makes the least assumptions:
* Would the Russian dictator once again attempt to murder his most prominent critic?
* Or would the German government... falsify the poisoning, even though he was hospitalized... as a false flag... but domestic inside of Russia... during a period where the West is collapsing and USA is run by someone who is likely under Russian control meaning triggering Russia into conflict would be to do so during a period when you are least likely to be backed up by the only other nuclear power with a capable enough triad to M.A.D./stalemate it out?
You can make the assumptions you want, but man your route seems to make a lot more of them.
That Islamist attack was very inconvenient for many powers that be, in Germany. Including the media. It has been quickly swept under a rug.
Living in Berlin you could barely notice, it ever happened at all. There was even some strong opposition to putting a monument/memorial to the victims.
https://www.faz.net/aktuell/finanzen/bafin-mitarbeiter-hande...
Indeed, there have to be systemic issues.