EU blacklists 9 Russians involved in sentencing of Putin critic
June 6 (UPI) — The European Union on Monday blacklisted nine Russians over their involvement in April’s sentencing of Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken critics, to 25 years’ imprisonment.
The nine Russians hit with asset freezes include those involved in Kara-Murza’s arrest, detention, prosecution and conviction.
Among those named is Oleg Sviridenko, the 60-year-old deputy justice minister who has been enforcing Russia’s so-called foreign agents list that has been at the center of a wave of repressive laws cracking down on independent civil society. According to the EU, hundreds of people have been added to this foreign agents list, including Kara-Murza.
Five judges were also blacklisted along with the head of the Moscow pre-trial detention center, the head of Russia’s investigative department and a director of a non-profit organization who acted as a government expert witness in the case against Kara-Murza.
The lawmakers of the European Council, which defines the political priorities of the union, imposed the asset freezes under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, which was adopted in late 2020, arming the 27-member bloc with the ability to target those responsible or involved in serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide.
“Vladimir Kara-Murza’s outrageously harsh prison sentence clearly demonstrates the political misuse of the Russian judiciary in order to suppress civil society and independent voices opposing Russia’s illegitimate war of aggression against Ukraine,” Josep Borrell, high representative for foreign and security policy at the EU, said in a statement.
“Today’s sanctions decision demonstrates once again the European Union’s determination to stand in solidarity with all those who are prosecuted, imprisoned or intimidated for fighting for human rights, speaking the truth.”
Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison in mid-April by a Moscow court where he faced charges of treason, spreading fake news about the Russian army and facilitating activities of an undesirable organization under laws criminalizing criticism of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
He was detained a year prior after calling Putin and the Russian government “a regime of murders” in an interview with CNN.
With the sanctions on Monday, the EU has imposed punitive measures against 43 people and 15 entities under its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
In a statement Monday, the EU said it remains concerned over the “continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia,” where the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine has exasperated internal domestic repression that the 27-member bloc says has “drastically” limited the freedom of opinion, speech and the press.
“The EU continues to strongly condemn the severe expansion of restrictive legislation and systematic repression against civil society and human rights defenders, as well as unabated crackdown on independent media, individual journalists, political opposition members and other critical voices,” it said.
June 6 (UPI) — The European Union on Monday blacklisted nine Russians over their involvement in April’s sentencing of Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken critics, to 25 years’ imprisonment.
The nine Russians hit with asset freezes include those involved in Kara-Murza’s arrest, detention, prosecution and conviction.
Among those named is Oleg Sviridenko, the 60-year-old deputy justice minister who has been enforcing Russia’s so-called foreign agents list that has been at the center of a wave of repressive laws cracking down on independent civil society. According to the EU, hundreds of people have been added to this foreign agents list, including Kara-Murza.
Five judges were also blacklisted along with the head of the Moscow pre-trial detention center, the head of Russia’s investigative department and a director of a non-profit organization who acted as a government expert witness in the case against Kara-Murza.
The lawmakers of the European Council, which defines the political priorities of the union, imposed the asset freezes under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, which was adopted in late 2020, arming the 27-member bloc with the ability to target those responsible or involved in serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide.
“Vladimir Kara-Murza’s outrageously harsh prison sentence clearly demonstrates the political misuse of the Russian judiciary in order to suppress civil society and independent voices opposing Russia’s illegitimate war of aggression against Ukraine,” Josep Borrell, high representative for foreign and security policy at the EU, said in a statement.
“Today’s sanctions decision demonstrates once again the European Union’s determination to stand in solidarity with all those who are prosecuted, imprisoned or intimidated for fighting for human rights, speaking the truth.”
Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison in mid-April by a Moscow court where he faced charges of treason, spreading fake news about the Russian army and facilitating activities of an undesirable organization under laws criminalizing criticism of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
He was detained a year prior after calling Putin and the Russian government “a regime of murders” in an interview with CNN.
With the sanctions on Monday, the EU has imposed punitive measures against 43 people and 15 entities under its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
In a statement Monday, the EU said it remains concerned over the “continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia,” where the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine has exasperated internal domestic repression that the 27-member bloc says has “drastically” limited the freedom of opinion, speech and the press.
“The EU continues to strongly condemn the severe expansion of restrictive legislation and systematic repression against civil society and human rights defenders, as well as unabated crackdown on independent media, individual journalists, political opposition members and other critical voices,” it said.
