EU Plans New Sanctions Against Russia in Response to Navalny’s Death

Following the sudden demise of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, the European Union is set to introduce additional sanctions against Russia.

According to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday, the EU aims to escalate its response to Navalny’s death. A proposal draft indicated a plan to target 35 individuals and two companies. Russian judges, government officials, and prison authorities were among those slated for sanctions, as detailed in the Bloomberg report.

The opposition leader, Navalny, passed away on February 16 while in prison, with Russia’s penitentiary service confirming the death and initiating an investigation into its cause. The circumstances surrounding Navalny’s demise have spurred global concern and condemnation.

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergei Naryshkin previously asserted in March that Navalny’s death resulted from natural causes.

However, a coalition of over 40 nations, led by the European Union, had united in demanding an impartial international inquiry into the demise of the Russian opposition leader.

Navalny had been a vocal critic of President Putin; as such, his death in a Russian prison prompted allegations of foul play from his supporters. Despite Russian authorities’ denial of state involvement, an official investigation has been initiated.

The call for an investigation was passionately voiced by EU ambassador Lotte Knudsen at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, representing 27 EU states and 16 other nations, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.

“We are outraged by the death of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, for which the ultimate responsibility lies with President (Vladimir) Putin and the Russian authorities,” asserted Knudsen.

He urged Russia to permit an unbiased and transparent international investigation.

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