Oproep tot vrijlating van Navalny
De Europese Unie moet de Russische autoriteiten oproepen om Aleksej Navalny onmiddellijk vrij laten en zijn vergiftiging grondig te onderzoeken. Als Navalny niet wordt vrijgelaten, moeten de sancties tegen de Russische Federatie worden verlengd.
Die oproep doe ik met ruim 100 collega-Europarlementariërs in een brief aan de Hoge Vertegenwoordiger voor buitenlands beleid en veiligheid, Josep Borrell.
Afgelopen dinsdag riep ik in mijn speech al op tot sancties, maar middels deze (Engelstalige) brief willen we dat nogmaals kenbaar maken.
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Brussels, 18 January 2020
Mr Josep Borrell Fontelles,
High Representative
Vice President of the European Commission
Honourable High Representative,
We are deeply concerned about yesterday's arrest of the opposition leader Alexey Navalny in Moscow, which is yet another example of an attack on the political pluralism in Russia. Mr. Navalny – who had been a victim of a despicable crime – decided to return to the Russian Federation, despite the risk and warnings of the Russian authorities.
The European Union must take a firm stance and call on the Russian authorities to immediately release Alexey Navalny and thoroughly investigate his poisoning. In case Mr Navalny is not released, sanctions against the Russian Federation should be extended.
Certain sectoral restrictive measures in the energy and banking sectors were already imposed on the Russian Federation after the unlawful annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the war in Donbas. In addition, in October 2020, the EU announced the extension of these sanctions – this time individually to 6 people and one entity involved in the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.
Unfortunately, the sanctions imposed so far turned out to be insufficient and much more should be done in this regard. Therefore, we urge the High Representative to enlarge the sectoral restrictive measures against the Russian Federation, as well as to develop a new strategic plan on individual sanctions by adding to the list both the people who were directly involved in imprisonment of Navalny, as well as certain Russian oligarchs (especially the ones owning assets in the EU).
The European Union cannot remain idle in the face of all the human rights violations committed by Russia. This Parliament counts on the EU’s High Representative to take the lead on this important task.
Sincerely,
144 Europarlementariërs, waaronder ikzelf
