The Kremlin’s most notable opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, died on February 16 after his condition deteriorated for over three years while he was incarcerated at a penal colony located in the northernmost part of Russia.
Navalny’s death has sparked investigation and debate over whether he had been poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent, despite Moscow’s denial of any involvement.
Following his death, the Russian government has been left with no opposition leaders which urged various Western countries to impose tougher sanctions on Russia’s authorities. In a statement regarding Navalny’s death, the British Foreign Office announced that the United Kingdom has frozen the assets of six Russian jail executives responsible for his death at the Arctic penal colony.
Additionally, the United States has also announced its upcoming sanction package which will be unveiled shortly after his death. Washington is currently deliberating on strategies to disrupt Russia’s military manufacturing activities, both domestically and internationally. Following this announcement, the European Union (EU) has been working on finalising a 13th round of sanctions on Russia. Additional sanctions related to the killing of Navalny will be added on top of the EU’s existing prohibition of import for the majority of Russian coal and oil, as well as restrictions on travel and the freezing of assets for over 2,000 firms and people.
With these impending sanction proposals, Russia is most likely to face tougher sanctions in various sectors, such as energy and finance. This is expected to worsen by the consideration of Western policymakers to exploit 238 billion-Euro worth of Russian assets overseas by offering them to Ukraine–which has been experiencing stagnant conflict dynamics in the past few months.
Author: M. W. N. Shiddiq
Sources:
“Alexei Navalny: UK Sanctions Russian Prison Chiefs after Activist’s Death.” British Broadcasting Corporation, 21 February 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68359709.
“Navalny: UK Sanctions Individuals at Arctic Penal Colony – DW – 02/21/2024.” Deutsche Welle, 21 February 2024, https://www.dw.com/en/navalny-uk-sanctions-individuals-at-arctic-penal-colony/a-68328186.
Birchard, Rosie . “Alexei Navalny’s Death: EU Mulls Fresh Sanctions on Russia.” Deutsche Welle, 19 February 2024, www.dw.com/en/alexei-navalnys-death-eu-mulls-fresh-sanctions-on-russia/a-68302726. Accessed 23 Feb. 2024.
Papachristou, Lucy . “What We Know about Alexei Navalny’s Death in Arctic Prison.” Reuters , 19 Feb. 2024, www.reuters.com/world/europe/alexei-navalnys-death-what-do-we-know-2024-02-18/.
Image: Gonzalo Fuentes – Reuters
