Canada has imposed sanctions on 13 Russian officials in response to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
This decision was announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and aims to target high-ranking officials and employees involved in the brutal treatment and subsequent death of Navalny.
Details of the Sanctions
According to a report from the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sanctions were applied to high-ranking officials from Russia's investigative bodies, penitentiary service, and police, who were involved in Navalny's poisoning, illegal detention, and mistreatment.
In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with the chemical nerve agent Novichok and was later detained at Moscow airport in 2021 after returning from treatment in Germany.
The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the lack of respect for Navalny's human rights during his imprisonment, the failure to investigate his death, and the delay in handing over his remains to his family.
International Response
This decision by Canada aligns with recent actions by the European Union, which also imposed sanctions on about 20 individuals responsible for human rights violations in Russia, specifically linked to Navalny's death.
Navalny's death was reported by the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation on February 16 in correctional colony No. 3 of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District.
Western powers have held Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for Navalny's death, though US intelligence services believe Putin likely did not directly order the assassination.
