NEW DELHI: The UK government on Wednesday froze assets and imposed sanctions on six individuals in charge of the prison in Arctic penal colony where Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died last week.
All those six individuals sanctioned, including the head and five deputy heads of the prison in the penal colony, will be banned from the UK and have their assets frozen, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.
The names include Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin, who oversaw the IK-3 Arctic Penal Colony “Polar Wolf”, and five of his deputies.
“It’s clear that the Russian authorities saw Navalny as a threat and they tried repeatedly to silence him,” Cameron said in a statement.
“Those responsible for Navalny’s brutal treatment should be under no illusion – we will hold them accountable.”
Russian authorities “poisoned him with Novichok in 2020, they imprisoned him for peaceful political activities, and they sent him to an Arctic penal colony. No one should doubt the oppressive nature of the Russian system,” he added.
“That’s why we’re today sanctioning the most senior prison officials responsible for his custody in the penal colony where he spent his final months.”
Reiterating similar calls from Navalny’s mother, the British government has also called for Navalny’s body to be released to his family immediately for a full and transparent investigation to take place.
Meanwhile, Navalnly’s mother has accused the Russian authorities of not disclosing the whereabouts of Navalny’s body .
Germany, Lithuania and Sweden are among EU countries calling for specific new penalties against Russia over Navalny’s death.
US President Joe Biden said that a major package of sanctions against Russia will be announced over Navalny’s death and the two-year Ukraine war.
( with input from agencies)
All those six individuals sanctioned, including the head and five deputy heads of the prison in the penal colony, will be banned from the UK and have their assets frozen, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.
The names include Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin, who oversaw the IK-3 Arctic Penal Colony “Polar Wolf”, and five of his deputies.
“It’s clear that the Russian authorities saw Navalny as a threat and they tried repeatedly to silence him,” Cameron said in a statement.
“Those responsible for Navalny’s brutal treatment should be under no illusion – we will hold them accountable.”
Russian authorities “poisoned him with Novichok in 2020, they imprisoned him for peaceful political activities, and they sent him to an Arctic penal colony. No one should doubt the oppressive nature of the Russian system,” he added.
“That’s why we’re today sanctioning the most senior prison officials responsible for his custody in the penal colony where he spent his final months.”
Reiterating similar calls from Navalny’s mother, the British government has also called for Navalny’s body to be released to his family immediately for a full and transparent investigation to take place.
Meanwhile, Navalnly’s mother has accused the Russian authorities of not disclosing the whereabouts of Navalny’s body .
Germany, Lithuania and Sweden are among EU countries calling for specific new penalties against Russia over Navalny’s death.
US President Joe Biden said that a major package of sanctions against Russia will be announced over Navalny’s death and the two-year Ukraine war.
( with input from agencies)