The European Union has agreed to impose new sanctions on Russia for the persecution of the opposition Alexei Navalny

The meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels decided to adopt a new round of sanctions against Russian officials for the process against the leader of the opposition Alexei Navalnyconcomitant diplomatic sources said this.

According to these sources contacted by AFP, foreign ministers have reached a “political agreement” for the sanctions and EU foreign minister Josep Borrell must now come up with a list of officials to be sanctioned. In turn, other officials familiar with the discussions said EFE that “there is a principle of agreement”.

The deal was reached after a lengthy discussion between ministers, although no names are expected to be mentioned at this time.

A diplomatic source said that the sanctions will be “specific, proportional and legally founded”.

When he arrived at the venue in Brussels, Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg defended the adoption of sanctions against responsible for the “judicial and police apparatus” against Navalny.

The aides to the opposition leader had asked the EU to adopt sanctions against the so-called “oligarchsMillionaires who enjoy political influence in the environment of President Vladimir Putin. However, the diplomats consulted agree that these millionaires are hardly included in the sanctioned list.

In this sense, this Monday the Luxembourg Chancellor, Jean Asselborn, admitted the difficulties of sanctioning these influential millionaires, as requested by those close to Navalny, for the difficulty of presenting evidence.

This Saturday, Russian justice convicted Navalny twice, punishing him in one case for “defamation” and, in another, confirming his prison sentence, which he could serve in a labor camp.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption activist and opponent, known for investigating the fortunes of Russian elites, has been sentenced to his first long-term sentence in nearly a decade of prosecution with authorities, and could be transferred to a labor camp. .

Navalny was jailed last month on his return home after spending months recuperating in Germany after suffering poisoning that nearly cost him his life and which he blames the Kremlin for. On February 2, he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

(With information from AFP)

MORE ON THIS TOPIC: