Eight countries of the European Union demand the introduction of sanctions against Russian judges and prosecutors due to the death of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, reports Reuters.
According to the article, the foreign ministers of Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, and Romania signed and sent a letter calling for sanctions against the Russian judicial system to the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
The letter was also endorsed by the Netherlands, France, Ireland, and Denmark, unnamed officials told the paper.
"Mr Navalny's death is yet another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression in Russia. This calls for collective action. We believe there is a strong case for a separate Russia-specific sanctions regime designed to address the situation in the country," the letter says.
Sanctions are proposed to be introduced against those involved in politically motivated decisions against members of civil society and the opposition and their further detention. These are, in particular, responsible persons in the judicial system.
Death of Navalny
On February 16, the Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District reported the death of Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny in a penal colony. He served his term there.
Russian mass media reported that Navalny allegedly suffered a blood clot during a walk. Later, this version was confirmed by the Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov.
At the same time, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasized that the oppositionist was killed by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, like thousands of other tortured people.
All the details of Navalny's death are in the material of RBC-Ukraine.
