On the initiative of Guy Verhofstadt (Renew Europe, Belgian), 82 MEPs, mainly from Renew Europe, but also from the EPP, S&D, ECR, Greens/EFA and NI, called on the Union, in a letter dated 20 February to the EU High Representative, to adopt new measures against those responsible for the death of Alexei Navalny.
Believing that this disappearance was a “political assassination, whether by commission or omission” and that, “without any doubt, Putin is the ultimate responsible for this heinous crime”, MEPs are calling for the adoption of new measures under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, against “all those involved in Alexei’s agony in Putin’s gulag, including prison directors, guards, police officers, public attorneys and judges”.
They also suggest that a new package of sanctions against the “backbone of the Putin regime” should be launched immediately, based on the list of over 6,000 people provided by Navalny two years ago.
As well as supporting Josep Borrell’s proposal to rename the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime after Navalny (see EUROPE 13353/2), MEPs suggested that the European External Action Service building in Brussels should also bear his name.
Finally, the MEPs are calling for a debate during the plenary session of the European Parliament “with a view to strengthening support for and protection of all opposition figures and human rights defenders in Russia”. A discussion with the Russian opposition is scheduled for Thursday, at a joint hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights, and Delegation for Relations with Russia.
In a statement published on 21 February, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament expressed its “outrage” at the “murder” of Mr Navalny. “The full responsibility for this murder lays with the Russian state and its President Vladimir Putin in particular”, according to the President of the European Parliament and the leaders of the political groups. They are demanding investigations into the exact circumstances of Alexei Navalny’s death, including an independent international investigation. “Truth must be told, accountability must be ensured and justice must be served”, they warn. “To honour the legacy of Alexei Navalny, we must stand with independent Russian civil society and the democratic opposition, continuously calling for the release of all political prisoners”, the politicians added. In addition, Mr Navalny’s wife will be present at the plenary session next week and a resolution is due to be put to the vote.
To see the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/axn and the statement by the Conference of Presidents: https://aeur.eu/f/axy (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)