STORY
The Council of the European Union has imposed sanctions on six Russian individuals it says were involved in the development of chemical weapons linked to the poisoning and death of Alexei Navalny. The Council said the restrictive measures related to the toxin epibatidine, which it said was found in samples taken from Navalny’s body.
The EU said the findings led to the conclusion that poisoning with epibatidine was highly likely to have caused his death in a Russian penal colony. The sanctions add to previous EU measures imposed over Navalny’s treatment and the wider repression of Russian opposition figures.
Those listed under the measures are subject to an asset freeze and travel restrictions. The EU said it would continue to hold Russian officials and individuals accountable for serious human rights violations and the use of chemical weapons.