Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borell has released a Statement marking four years since the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.
How Is the EU Addressing Navalny’s Poisoning After Four Years?
He stated, “On 20 August we mark four years since the assassination attempt of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny in Russia by using a toxic nerve agent of the “Novichok” group, prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which the Russian Federation is a State Party.”
Josep Borell has stated that the assassination shot, followed by Alexei Navalny’s return to Russia, accelerated a wave of politically motivated measures against him, which led to his early and still not fully investigated and clarified demise in a strict-regime penal colony in February this year. The ultimate blame for Alexei Navalny’s death lies with President Putin and the Russian authorities who placed him in prison based on politically inspired charges and led a campaign of constant pressure and mistreatment against him while behind bars.
Moreover, together with its allies, the European Union will persist in repeating its call on Russia to investigate the assassination endeavour on Alexei Navalny in full transparency and without further delay and to fully collaborate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to ensure an unbiased international investigation. The tragic demise of Alexei Navalny does not relieve the Russian Federation of its commitment to provide answers to the questions posed under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
What Are the Latest Sanctions Imposed by the EU?
Sanctions have been set since 2020 against individuals and entities accountable for the poisoning, arbitrary arrest, prosecution and sentencing of Alexei Navalny. On 22 March this year, the EU Council imposed restrictive actions against 33 individuals and two entities related to the death of Alexei Navalny.
Furthermore, directly after his death, the EU Council adopted in May a new EU framework for restrictive actions against those responsible for serious human rights breaches or abuses, repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and damaging democracy and the rule of law in Russia, together with a first package of 20 listings. High Representative contended “We will spare no efforts to hold the Russian political leadership and authorities to account for the treatment of Alexei Navalny and other political prisoners.”
