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Diplomatic sources told the AFP news agency that the names of the officials will be published in the Official Gazette of the EU on Tuesday after the ambassadors of the EU states approve the list drawn up by Brussels.
Two sources, reluctant to reveal their names, said the sanctions would be imposed on Alexander Kalashnikov, director of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Russian Investigation Committee, Igor Krasnov, attorney general, and Viktor Zolotov, director of the National Guard.
These four people will be the first to be subject to restrictions under the new EU sanctions regime for human rights violations, which came into effect last December. They will be banned from the EU and their assets under EU jurisdiction will be frozen.
Navaln, 44, was arrested in January as soon as he returned to Moscow from Germany, where he was treated for several months for poisoning with the nerve-paralyzing substance Noviciok, according to an opposition executed on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But the Kremlin denies having anything to do with the incident.
The arrest and imprisonment last month of Putin’s most famous opponent for violating the conditions of previous probation sparked large demonstrations in many Russian cities, during which thousands of protesters took to the streets. Western countries have demanded the release of Navaln, and these calls will now be complemented by EU sanctions.
Last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry rejected a decision to impose sanctions, saying the measures were based on “tense” arguments and accused Brussels of appeasing “anti-Russian stereotypes”.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushka said on Monday that Moscow would respond to the EU sanctions, but did not provide details.
“It just came to our notice then. The European Union continues on a completely illegal path, which is an absolute impasse,” the deputy minister told the Interfax news agency.
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