On Thursday 29 February, the European Parliament strongly condemned the “murder” of Russian “political leader and prominent anti-corruption politician” Alexei Navalny, expressing its “full” support for Yulia Navalnaya in her determination to continue the work begun by her late husband.
In the resolution they adopted (509 in favour, 9 against, 32 abstentions), MEPs demanded an independent and transparent international enquiry into the exact circumstances of Mr Navalny’s death and into those responsible, so that they can be held to account. They also call for sanctions against those involved in the politically motivated trials against Mr Navalny and responsible for his conviction, imprisonment and conditions of detention, including “those responsible for his premature death”. “The Russian Government and Vladimir Putin personally bear criminal and political responsibility for the death of [...] Alexei Navalny”, warn MEPs.
Parliament also expresses its solidarity with all those people, in Russia and elsewhere, who, despite the deliberately violent repression and the serious consequences they face, still find the “courage to speak the truth, uphold human values and fight for a democratic and peaceful future”.
It calls on the Russian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and all those arbitrarily detained, and to repeal their oppressive legislation.
In addition to the measures relating to Mr Navalny, Parliament believes that Member States should introduce wide-ranging EU restrictive measures against those involved in the political persecution and fabricated cases of Russian civil society representatives and activists, and consider adding to the list of sanctions other individuals identified by Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation as ‘regime facilitators’.
Finally, MEPs call on the EU and Member States to continue to show their “unfailing” solidarity with independent Russian civil society and the democratic opposition, and to actively support them. They want the European External Action Service to develop a proactive long-term strategic policy towards Russia that responds effectively to the reality of current relations, the human rights situation in Russia and the support needs of Russian civil society and opposition representatives in exile.
To see the resolution, go to https://aeur.eu/f/b2t (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)