Russian Sanctions: Canada Targets Russians for Navalny’s Death

Canada Imposes Sanctions on Russian Officials in Response to Navalny’s Death

Canada Takes Action Against Russian Officials

Canada has announced sanctions on 13 additional Russians, including individuals from the intelligence service, police force, and corrections system, for their involvement in the poisoning, imprisonment, and death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The new sanctions coincide with the visit of Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, to Ottawa for meetings with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. Navalnaya has expressed her commitment to carry on her late husband’s anti-corruption efforts.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is expected to convey Canada’s stance that the Kremlin is accountable for Navalny’s untimely death. Navalny passed away on Feb. 16 at a Russian penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence on what Canada believes to be fabricated charges aimed at silencing an opposition figure challenging President Vladimir Putin.

Canada had previously sanctioned six Russian individuals shortly after Navalny’s death, including officials from the penal colony where he died, a judge, and a prosecutor. The newly added names include high-ranking members of the Russian intelligence service and police force.

The sanctions are directed not only at those responsible for Navalny’s death but also for the nerve agent poisoning, illegal arrest in 2021, human rights violations during his imprisonment, failure to investigate his death, and delays in releasing his remains to his family. Putin has denied any involvement in Navalny’s death, attributing it to a collapse during a walk at the prison.

During a visit to Ukraine following Navalny’s death, Trudeau accused Putin of orchestrating Navalny’s execution out of fear of facing a real opponent.

(Source: The Canadian Press)



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