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The United States imposed sanctions on seven senior Russian government officials after intelligence concluded that Moscow was behind the “poisoning” of Alexei Navalny.
“The intelligence community assessed with a high degree of confidence that agents of the Russian Federal Security Agency (FSB) used the nerve agent Novichok to poison the leader of the Russian opposition Alexei Navalny on October 20 / August 2020.” a senior US official told reporters. today, announcing sanctions on Russian officials.
The sanctioned Russian government officials this time will have their assets frozen in the US, but details of the sanctions are expected to be released later. Additionally, 14 entities involved in Russia’s biochemical production, including 13 commercial facilities and a government research institute, also face sanctions.
The move comes shortly after European Union (EU) member states approved sanctions against four senior Russian police and judicial officials, related to Navalny’s arrest.
Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny at a hearing in Moscow on February 20. Picture: AFP.
Those on the sanctions list will not be able to move to the EU or the US Any of their possessions in the West will be frozen. The Joe Biden administration also intends to limit certain exports to Russia and is tougher on Moscow than former President Donald Trump.
“We will take appropriate action, because we believe it is important to make it clear that we do not accept past conduct. We will cooperate with our allies and partners,” he said. American Antony Blinken responded to the interview today.
Previously, the Kremlin had condemned Western sanctions. “Those who continue to rely on these measures should probably think about whether they will achieve their goal by continuing with such a policy,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that the “obvious” answer is no.
Navalny, leader of the opposition Russian People’s Union party, lost consciousness in August 2020 while flying from Siberia to Moscow, and was later transferred to Berlin, Germany, for treatment. Western countries accuse Russia of “poisoning” Navalny with Soviet-era Novichok poison, similar to the activist’s claims, but Moscow has repeatedly denied this.
Immediately after returning to Russia from Germany on January 17, Navalny was arrested on charges of violating parole regulations. The Moscow court then ordered that the suspended 3.5-year sentence, which Navalny received in 2014, be converted into a prison sentence. The 44-year-old activist is also at risk of facing problems related to three other criminal cases.
Gloss (Follow, continue AFP)
