EU can expand sanctions already in March

In March, the European Union can approve of a package of sanctions for serious human rights violations around the world in accordance with the mechanism that has recently entered into force - the European analogue of the Magnitsky Act. This was reported by the "German wave" , which refers to the DPA agency. The new package of sanctions can be approved at a meeting of the EU Foreign Ministry heads of the EU on March 22.

Radio correspondent Free Europe/Radio Liberty Richard Yozvyak previously confirmed the work on the sanctions list. According to him, it will include citizens of China, DPRK, Eritrea and South Sudan, as well as Russia.

Moreover, it was against four citizens of Russia - the heads of law enforcement agencies - sanctions on the European "Magnitsky Law" were introduced for the first time in history. This happened on March 2. They fell into the sanctions list due to the alleged involvement in the criminal prosecution and condemnation of the opposition Alexei Navalny.

The sanctions were the prosecutor general of Russia Igor Krasnov, the head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service Alexander Kalashnikov and the head of the Russian Guard Viktor Zolotov.

Which of the Russians will enter the new list is still unclear, but we should talk about faces convicted of serious human rights violations. The head of the EU Foreign Ministry, Josep Borrel, previously said that the inclusion of businessmen from the environment of Vladimir Putin in the list of businessmen - what the ally of Navalny insist on - is hardly possible, since it is difficult to prove their direct involvement in violation of rights.

Sanctions provide for a ban on entry into the EU and freezing assets. Official Moscow criticized Brussels’s decision on the introduction of sanctions against officials.