The EU will propose new sanctions against Russia in response to opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death last month, Bloomberg reported on March 7, citing a draft proposal they had obtained.
Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin's main political opponent, died on Feb. 16 in a penal colony in the town of Kharp, Yamal Nenets Autonomous District. He had been convicted in several fabricated criminal cases as part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent.
Several countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia, have imposed fresh sanctions against Russia over Navalny's death.
The EU now readies restrictive measures against 35 individuals, including prison and government officials and judges, Bloomberg wrote. The IK-3 and IK-6 penal colonies where Navalny was imprisoned are also reportedly included in the list.
Navalny was detained in Russia in January 2021 and was later sent to prison on two separate sentences, one for nine years and another for 19, in trial proceedings described by human rights groups as a "sham."
The opposition leader was moved to the IK-6 maximum security prison in Melekhovo, Vladimir Oblast, in June 2022. Since December 2023, Navalny was held at IK-3, where he also died.
Leaders around the world pointed at Putin as to blame for Navalny's death. It remains unclear whether the harsh prison conditions caused his death or if he was intentionally murdered.
Kateryna Hodunova
