UK freezes assets, bans travel for Russian prison bosses after Alexei Navalny's death
Vladimir Putin's critic Alexei Navalny on 16 February, following which the United Kingdom froze assets of six Russian prison bosses, who were reportedly in charge of the Arctic penal colony housing Navalny. According to media reports, the sanctioned six Russians, including the head and five deputy heads of the penal colony, will also be banned from travelling to UK.
The six prison officials, who were sanctioned under UK human rights regulations, include Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin, who oversaw the brutal prison camp where the anti-corruption campaigner was kept in solitary confinement. Western superpowers have blamed the death of Alexei Navalny on Russian authorities, including President Vladimir Putin.
“It's clear that the Russian authorities saw Navalny as a threat and they tried repeatedly to silence him,'' Foreign Secretary David Cameron said. “That's why we're today sanctioning the most senior prison officials responsible for his custody in the penal colony where he spent his final months.'' He added, “Those responsible for Navalny's brutal treatment should be under no illusion — we will hold them accountable." Alexei Navalny also suffered from being denied medical treatment and from having to walk in temperatures dropping to minus 32 degrees Celsius, the Foreign Office said in a statement.
David Cameron had vowed action on the matter on Saturday, while London summoned the Russian ambassador to make clear it held Russian authorities "fully responsible" for Navalny's death. Russia, which has denied involvement in the death of the 47-year-old former lawyer, said on Saturday that it was unacceptable for Britain to interfere in its internal affairs.
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