Canada places sanctions against Russian officials after Alexei Navalny’s death
Six senior Russian officials who were allegedly involved in the violation of opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s human rights and ultimately, his death, have had new sanctions announced against them.
World
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Canada announced new sanctions on Sunday against six Russian officials following the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny last month in an Arctic prison colony.
The sanctions target “senior officials and high-ranking employees of Russia’s prosecution, judicial and correctional services,” a statement by Canada’s foreign affairs department said.
The six people “were involved in the violation of Mr. Navalny’s human rights, his cruel punishment and ultimately, his death,” it said.
“Alongside our partners, Canada will maintain pressure on the Russian government to conduct a full and transparent inquiry into the death of Mr. Navalny,” Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement.
“This increased pressure on the Russian government sends a clear signal that human rights must be unequivocally respected.”
After the death of Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critic, the Canadian government summoned Russia’s ambassador to “demand a full and transparent investigation” into his death.
Navalny died on February 16 in unclear circumstances in a penal colony in the Arctic, where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence for “extremism.” He was 47 years old.
His family and allies have accused the Kremlin of ordering him killed and Western leaders have said Putin is “responsible” for his death.
NAVALNY FAREWELLED BY LARGE CROWD
Alexei Navalny’s coffin was lowered into a grave as My Way by Frank Sinatra played and large crowds chanted, “Russia without Putin.”
The Russian opposition leader was farewelled in Moscow at an emotional open-coffin funeral – two weeks after his unexplained death.
Footage showed a large crowd of people clapping and shouting Navalny’s name as the hearse transporting his body arrived at a Moscow church.
Mourners were heard chanting: “Putin is a killer”, “We won’t forget”, “Freedom for political prisoners”, and “Russia without Putin”.
More than 1,000 people waited near the church to pay their respects to the Kremlin critic, according to a report in The Sun.
Many were carrying flowers and stood in silence as police checked documents and personal belongings before the ceremony.
Navalny’s parents – Anatoly and Lyudmila – were seen walking to the church in Moscow ahead of the ceremony.
The late opposition leader’s wife Yulia Navalnaya was not at the funeral and is understood to be outside Russia.
She paid tribute to her late husband following the funeral on X (formerly Twitter), thanking him for “26 years of absolute happiness … even over the last three years”.
“For love, for always supporting me, for making me laugh even from prison, for the fact that you always thought about me,” she wrote.
“I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to make you up there happy for me and proud of me. I don’t know if I can handle it or not, but I will try.”
Navalnaya has blamed Putin for her husband’s death, which has sparked outrage among Western leaders and within the opposition.
Western governments have been quick to hold the Kremlin responsible but have stopped short of making direct accusations of involvement.
Putin’s spokesman Peskov has criticised the accusations made by her and some Western leaders as “vulgar”.
Fewer than 300 people were allowed inside the church where the funeral was held “as quickly as possible”, according to Navalny’s team.
Video showed Navalny’s mother Lyudmila saying farewell to her son in his open coffin, surrounded by other mourners holding candles.
Many came forward to lay flowers on his body.
The opposition leader’s coffin was carried out of the church less than an hour after the ceremony began and moved to the Borisovskoye Cemetery.
A white shroud was placed over Navalny’s head and mourners walked up to the casket to pay their respects.
Russian state media all but ignored the funeral ceremony.
Navalny died in Polar Wolf jail in the Russian Arctic on February 16 while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges.
It was alleged his body was found covered in bruises.
Western leaders and members of his camp have since claimed he was “murdered” on the direct orders of Vladimir Putin.
Pictures and footage captured this morning outside the church showed a major operation involving Russian police and security services.
Secret servicemen were seen patrolling the nearby rooftops. It was unclear if they were snipers or crowd-watchers.
And buses with armed police were seen in the vicinity of the church and the graveyard, along with police vans – or cells on wheels – seemingly poised for expected arrests.
Police wearing helmets and carrying tear gas canisters patrolled the area.
Iron fences surrounded the church, apparently intended to limit Navalny’s supporters’ access to the farewell ceremony, and a notice advised people not to film or take photographs.
At least one person was pictured being arrested at the funeral.
Navalny’s team shared a message to the world as the funeral began, writing on social media: “Putin killed Alexei Navalny.”
The Kremlin earlier warned against unsanctioned gatherings for the late opposition leader.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Any unauthorised gatherings will be in violation of the law and those who participate in them will be held responsible.”
It was feared Putin’s police force would once again crack down on Navalny’s supporters.
Police detained more than 400 people across the country at memorials and rallies to honour Navalny the day after he died in jail.
As Navalny’s body today set out on his last journey to his funeral earlier today, Peskov said: “The Kremlin has nothing to say to Navalny’s relatives on the day of his funeral.”
Navalny associate Leonid Volkov said the only words Navalny’s family needed from Putin “are those he’ll say before the judge”.
‘DISGRACEFUL’ MOVE TO STOP NAVALANY BURIAL
Earlier, hearse drivers refused to take Navalny’s body from the morgue to his funeral after receiving threats, his allies said.
Since the Kremlin critic’s death in prison almost two weeks ago, his team have accused authorities of trying to prevent him from having a dignified public burial, planned for Friday local time.
“What a disgrace. Now the hearse drivers refuse to take Alexei from the morgue,” said Ivan Zhdanov, an exiled ally who managed Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said funeral directors had received threatening calls from “unknown people” warning them not to transport Navalny’s body anywhere.
Navalny died on February 16 in one of Russia’s toughest prisons in northern Siberia, where he was serving a 19-year sentence on charges widely seen as political retribution for his opposition.
Authorities resisted handing the politician’s body to his family for eight days, in what his team said was an attempt to “cover up” official involvement in his death.
Russian authorities said Navalny died of “natural causes” but his team and some Western leaders have accused Putin of being directly responsible.
Details of the funeral and how many mourners will be allowed to attend are still unclear, and there has been no comment from authorities on how it will be managed.
It comes after Navalny’s widow said her husband’s body was “abused” after he was “killed”.
The Russian opposition leader was “tortured for three years” in a remote Siberian prison, where he was kept in a tiny cell, starved and denied access to the outside world, Yulia Navalnaya told the European Parliament.
“And then they killed him. Even after that they abused his body and abused his mother,” Ms Navalnaya said on Wednesday.
Navalny’s body was finally returned to his mother last weekend, more than a week after his death on February 16.
Ms Navalnaya also said she feared disruption and arrests at her husband’s funeral, set to take place on Friday in Moscow.
Ms Navalnaya called Mr Putin a “mobster” responsible for her husband’s death, in a forceful speech that drew a long standing ovation.
“I’m not sure yet whether it will be peaceful or whether the police will arrest those who have come to say goodbye to my husband,” Navalnaya told European politicians, shortly after the announcement of Navalny’s funeral date.
“Putin is the leader of an organised criminal gang,” said Ms Navalnaya. “You are not dealing with a politician but with a bloody mobster.”
Russian authorities have said Navalny died of natural causes after he lost consciousness following a walk in his Arctic prison colony.
His family reject the claim.
“Alexei was tortured for three years,” Ms Navalnaya said.
“He was starved in a tiny stone cell, cut off from the outside world and denied visits, phone calls, and then even letters.”
“And then they killed him. Even after that, they abused his body,” she said.
Navalny’s body was held for eight days, which his team believed to be a bid to cover up who was responsible for his death and prevent a public burial.
“Putin must answer for everything he has done to Alexei,” Ms Navalnaya said.
Russian authorities have cracked down on public gatherings in memory of Navalny, detaining hundreds for laying flowers at memorials.
The opposition leader shot to prominence through his anti-corruption campaigning, exposing what he said was rampant corruption at the top of Putin’s administration.
He was arrested in January 2021 when he returned to Russia after being treated in Germany for a poisoning attack he suffered while campaigning against Putin in Siberia months earlier.
Originally published as Canada places sanctions against Russian officials after Alexei Navalny’s death
Join the conversation
Pokemon giant hit with stunning hack
The developer behind the Pokemon video games has reportedly been hit with a massive hack resulting in gigabytes of stolen data leaking online.
Read more
‘Unacceptable’: Hamas sign put on MP’s office
A federal Labor MP has called out protesters who vandalised his electorate office, including painting a Hamas sign on a door.
Read more