Today the European Union is officially imposing sanctions, on human rights grounds, on individuals it holds responsible for the unlawful treatment of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. JEF Finland considers the sanctions decided by the Foreign Affairs Council insufficient and demands a tougher EU policy on Russia.
“The sanctions being imposed today are completely insufficient and target the wrong people. Instead of low-level officials, sanctions should target the oligarchs in President Putin’s inner circle who have amassed billion-euro fortunes for themselves through corruption,” criticises JEF Finland President Risto Rajala.
Russia has in recent years slid in an increasingly authoritarian direction, and the country’s administration has systematically sought to silence civil society through pressure and brutal violence. Alexei Navalny has investigated and exposed corruption practised by Russia’s leadership, and has as a result become the target of an assassination attempt and later of unlawful imprisonment. Navalny’s arrest and subsequent sentencing have led to large demonstrations both in Russia and around the world. In Russia, authorities responded to the demonstrations with a heavy hand, and thousands of people were arrested.
“Navalny’s treatment violates not only international law but also Russia’s own laws. The beating and imprisonment of demonstrators supporting Navalny and opposing corruption must not be quietly accepted. The EU must not watch Russia’s leadership from the sidelines, but must defend its values and stand by Russian civil society,” Rajala demands.
Forming a consistent and unified line on Russia’s actions has proven difficult for the EU, something Russia has determinedly and repeatedly exploited. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov humiliated the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, during his visit to Moscow, and has since threatened that Russia could cut off its relations with the union entirely.
“Russia is trying by every means to break the EU’s ranks, and its bullying must not be given in to. We can only hold our ground with a united EU: no single member state can manage on its own against Russia. That is why the EU’s capacity to act must be strengthened quickly by introducing qualified majority voting in foreign and security policy. At the same time, construction work on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline must be halted immediately, so that EU countries’ dependence on Russian energy is not allowed to grow further,” Rajala concludes.
For further information
Risto Rajala
President
[email protected]
0400563080