The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, recalled on Monday 19 April, at the end of the virtual meeting of European Foreign Ministers, that the Russian authorities were responsible for the health and safety of political opponent Alexei Navalny.
“The Russian authorities are responsible for Mr Navalny’s safety and health, to which we hold them to account”, Mr Borrell warned at the end of the meeting, echoing the EU’s statement issued the day before.
Mr Navalny has been on a hunger strike for 20 days and his health is deteriorating by the day. Over the weekend, the international community, including the EU, had called for him to have access to a doctor. On Monday, Russia announced that Mr Navalny would be transferred to a prison hospital.
“The Russian authorities must grant him immediate access to medical professionals he trusts”, Mr Borrell said.
At the meeting, according to his own words, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suggested that a European humanitarian mission should transport Mr Navalny to a Member State of his choice for treatment. “If medical assistance is refused, additional sanctions must be considered”, Mr Landsbergis warned.
In addition, at the meeting, the Ministers were informed by their Czech counterpart of the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats, identified by the Czech intelligence services as secret agents of the Russian SVR and GRU services. In return, Russia expelled 20 Czech diplomats. Prague also reportedly suspects Russia of being involved in the 2014 explosion of an ammunition depot in the Czech Republic, which killed two people. According to an EU source, the other Member States have expressed their solidarity with the Czech Republic.
See the EU statement on Mr Navalny: https://bit.ly/3x4T5KG (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)