On Thursday 17 September, MEPs strongly condemned the “assassination attempt” on Alexei Navalny.
In the joint resolution adopted by the Greens/EFA, S&D, Renew Europe, ECR and EPP groups (532 votes in favour, 84 against and 72 abstentions), MEPs call for an immediate and impartial international investigation, full cooperation from Russia, and accountability from those responsible.
Believing that the assassination attempt was part of “a widespread desire to silence him and other dissident voices” and that his case was only one element of a wider Russian policy of repressive measures inside the country and aggressive action worldwide, the European Parliament is calling on the EU to raise its voice in Moscow.
First of all, it calls on the EU to “toughen existing sanctions against Russia” and to deploy sanctions mechanisms allowing the collection and freezing of corrupt individuals’ European assets, in line with the conclusions presented by Mr Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation. More broadly, Parliament wants the EU Council to give priority to approving and implementing “in the near future” a European Magnitsky law which “will include a list of persons and could also include sectoral sanctions against the Russian regime”.
Likewise, for Parliament, “there is a more than urgent need for a thorough strategic reassessment of EU-Russia relations”. In particular, it requests that the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy review the EU’s policy towards Russia and the five guiding principles for relations and develop a new comprehensive strategy “in light of future developments in the field of democracy, the Rule of law and respect for human rights” in the country. In parallel, the EU Council should adopt a strategy to support dissidents, NGOs, Russian civil society and independent journalists in Russia. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)