On the evening of 3 September, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, threatened Russia with sanctions in retaliation for the poisoning of political opponent Alexei Navalny.
Condemning Mr Navalny’s “attempted assassination” in the strongest possible terms, the High Representative, in a statement on behalf of the EU, called for a “common international response”. “The EU reserves the right to take appropriate measures, including restrictive measures”, he added, warning that the Union would continue to monitor the situation closely and examine its implications.
“The use of chemical weapons is totally unacceptable under any circumstances and is a serious violation of international law and human rights standards”, Mr Borrell said, recalling that Mr Navalny had been poisoned by a military chemical nerve agent from the ‘Novichok’ group, similar to the one used in the attempted assassination of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury in March 2018 (see EUROPE 12176/5).
“This new attempt on the life of a Russian citizen took place on the territory of the Russian Federation. The Russian government must do its utmost to carry out an in-depth investigation into this crime and transparently and bring those responsible to justice”, said Mr Borrell. He also warned that impunity should not and will not be tolerated. The EU also called on Russia to cooperate fully with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to ensure an impartial international investigation.
125 MEPs call on EU to work on international investigation
In a letter dated 4 September, obtained by EUROPE, 125 MEPs from all political groups called on the Russian authorities to conduct a “full and transparent investigation into this case in order to hold the perpetrators accountable”. However, stressing their extreme scepticism about the Russian authorities’ ability and willingness to investigate the true context of this “crime”, MEPs called on the High Representative and the German Presidency of the EU Council to work towards an international investigation within UN and Council of Europe structures, with possible support from the OPCW. They also reaffirmed the need for the rapid establishment at European level of the sanctions mechanism for human rights violations. (See the letter: https://bit.ly/356sBNa )
Condemnation by the Alliance
On the same day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on the Russian government to cooperate fully with the OPCW on an “international and impartial” investigation. “Russia now has some serious questions to answer”, he said after a North Atlantic Council meeting on the subject.
At that Council, the Allies condemned the attack. “Any use of chemical weapons shows a total lack of respect for human life and is an unacceptable violation of international norms and standards”, Mr Stoltenberg stressed. He explained that this serious violation of international law required an “international response” but did not wish to speculate on the content of that response. The Allies consult with each other and with other organisations, he added.
For the Secretary-General, this is not an attack on an individual, but on “fundamental, democratic rights”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)