EU blacklists six people involved in Navalny assassination
Poinews.com – On Friday, EU member states reached a consensus to impose sanctions on six Russian nationals connected to the suspected chemical agent responsible for the death of Alexei Navalny while he was imprisoned in a penal colony. The decision follows European investigations confirming that his demise was caused by chemical poisoning.
Navalny’s background and arrest
Alexei Navalny was a leading opposition figure and anti-corruption advocate in Russia. He was detained in 2021 on fraud charges after returning to the country following a failed poisoning attempt in 2020. Additional extremism-related accusations were leveled against him later that year, resulting in a 19-year prison sentence. He was sent to an Arctic maximum security facility, where his body was discovered on 16 February 2024.
Key figures in the chemical weapons program
The sanctioned individuals are scientists and researchers tied to Russia’s military chemical weapons program, with a particular focus on the development of epibatidine. Traces of this substance were detected on Navalny’s body following his death in February 2024. Among those targeted is Igor Babkin, who led the Signal Scientific Centre, a lab believed to have synthesized the poison. Irina Derevyagina, a chemical research analyst at the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology, is also included. She is seen as a pivotal figure in Russia’s chemical weapons initiatives.
Mikhail Gutsalyuk, head of the scientific department at the Military Academy of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence, has been added to the list. These measures target their assets within the EU, freezing bank accounts and restricting travel across the bloc.
“Navalny’s death marked a significant moment in Russia’s campaign against dissent,” stated a European official. “These sanctions aim to hold those responsible accountable for their role in his poisoning.”
