Canada has sanctioned over a dozen high-ranking Russian law enforcement officials believed to be responsible for the death of opposition activist Alexei Navalny, the country’s Foreign Minister announced Tuesday.
According to a Canadian Foreign Ministry statement, the new sanctions target individuals involved in the poisoning of Navalny in 2020, his arrest in Moscow upon returning to Russia in 2021 and his mistreatment while incarcerated.
“Today’s sanctions further demonstrate a strong front against the Kremlin’s continued gross violations of human rights and its suppression of Russian civil society and political opposition,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said.
While the ministry’s statement on Tuesday did not name the targeted individuals, Canada’s sanctions registry on Russia lists 13 additional names among sanctioned individuals.
In March, Ottowa announced sanctions against six Russian officials following Navalny’s death in February at an Arctic penal colony, where he was serving an “extremism” sentence.
Besides Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia and the European Union have introduced sanctions over the late activist’s death, which supporters claim was organized by the Kremlin.
