Brussels [Belgium], May 28: EU foreign ministers on Monday adopted a new sanctions regime to punish serious human rights violations in Russia, diplomats confirmed to DPA.
The new system of sanctions was established following the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and targets individuals and organizations responsible for the repression of the opposition.
The EU sanctions regime is specifically set up for human rights abuses in Russia in honour of Navalny. Around 20 targets have been selected for inclusion in a first listing, diplomats said. These punitive measures are separate to the wide-ranging economic sanctions imposed on Russia for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions likewise include punitive measures, notably entry bans to the European Union and a freeze on assets held in the bloc.
After Navalny's death in a penal camp in Siberia in mid-February, EU members imposed sanctions on 33 people from the Russian judiciary and political system in an existing sanctions regime. The two penal colonies where Navalny was last imprisoned were also added to the EU sanctions list in a symbolic move.
Source: Qatar Tribune