The European Union has imposed sanctions on four Russian citizens and one Russian organisation for their involvement in human rights abuses, including the repression of dissent and the prosecution of political opponents.
The sanctions target Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League, a government-affiliated organization that has been criticized for its censorship efforts. Mizulina has been accused of promoting legislation that restricts freedom of speech and access to information online.
Other individuals on the sanctions list are Oleg Alypov, Head of the Golovinsky Inter-district Prosecutor’s Office of Moscow, and Lyudmila Smolkina and Valentina Levashova, judges at the Moscow City Court and Basmanny Court, respectively. These judges were responsible for the prosecution of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian politician who was sentenced to 25 years in prison on treason charges.
The EU sanctions also target the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, the state-owned media organisation that has been accused of spreading disinformation and propaganda.
The sanctions imposed by the EU will prevent the individuals and organisations on the list from entering the bloc, freezing any assets they may have in EU countries, and banning EU citizens and companies from doing business with them. The sanctions are aimed at putting pressure on the Russian government to end its human rights abuses.
In a statement, the European Council said that the sanctions are “a clear message that those responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia will be held accountable.” The council also called for the release of all those imprisoned in Russia for political reasons.
