By Ben Kerrigan-
The UK has frozen the assets of six Russian prison bosses in charge of the Arctic penal colony where opposition leader Alexei Navalny died.
The sanctioned individuals will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans, the British government has said.
Britain has also called for Mr Navalny’s body to be released to his family immediately and for a full and transparent investigation to take place.
Those in charge of the Arctic penal colony where Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny9pictured) was detained and killed will be banned from the UK and see their assets frozen under new sanctions announced by the Foreign Secretary today.
The sanctioned individuals include Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin, who oversaw the brutal prison camp where Mr Navalny was kept in solitary confinement for up to 2 weeks at a time.
Mr Navalny’s condition had deteriorated in his 3 years in prison. Mr Navalny suffered from being denied medical treatment, as well as having to walk in –32C weather while being held in the prison.
The UK is the first country to impose sanctions in response to the death of Mr Navalny, a political prisoner who dedicated his life to exposing the corruption of the Russian system, calling for free and open politics, and holding the Kremlin to account.
Russia is notorious for human right abuses which extends to multiple murders over the years, especially of individuals with dissenting voices.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: ‘It’s clear that the Russian authorities saw Navalny as a threat and they tried repeatedly to silence him.
FSB operatives poisoned him with Novichok in 2020, they imprisoned him for peaceful political activities, and they sent him to an Arctic penal colony. No-one should doubt the oppressive nature of the Russian system.
‘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. Those responsible for Navalny’s brutal treatment should be under no illusion – we will hold them accountable.
The following individuals are being sanctioned under the UK’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations for their responsibility for activity that violates the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and the right to life.
They are being held responsible for the custody of Alexei Navalny in their positions as Head or Deputy Head of Arctic Penal Colony IK-3:
Colonel Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin: Head of IK-3 Arctic Penal Colony ‘Polar Wolf’
Lieutenant Colonel Sergey Nikolaevich Korzhov: Deputy Head
Lieutenant Colonel Vasily Alexandrovich Vydrin: Deputy Head
Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Ivanovich Pilipchik: Deputy Head
Lieutenant Colonel Aleksandr Vladimirovich Golyakov: Deputy Head
Colonel Aleksandr Valerievich Obraztsov: Deputy Head
Following Mr Navalny’s death on Friday, the FCDO summoned a representative of the Russian government to make clear that Alexei Navalny’s death must be investigated fully and transparently, and those in the Russian regime responsible held to account.
Following news that Mr Navalny’s family is being denied access to his body, the UK is also calling for the Russian authorities to release his body to them immediately.
The Foreign Secretary will attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brazil today, where he will use the opportunity to call out Russia’s aggression and its global impact directly to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Western leaders say the blame for Navalny’s death lies with the Russian authorities, including President Putin.
“Those responsible for Navalny’s brutal treatment should be under no illusion – we will hold them accountable,” UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said.
The UK is the first country to impose sanctions in response to his death, the Foreign Office says.
The US has also announced it will be unveiling its own package of sanctions against Russia over Navalny’s death and the ongoing war in Ukraine on Friday.
The British government has called for Navalny’s body to be released to his family immediately and for a full and transparent investigation to take place.
The appeal from the UK echoes similar calls from Navalny’s mother, who was filmed outside the colony where he died saying she had been trying to see him for five days but did not even know where he was.
Announcing the sanctions, Lord Cameron said it was “clear that the Russian authorities saw Navalny as a threat and they tried repeatedly to silence him”.
“No-one should doubt the oppressive nature of the Russian system,” he added.
“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.
“Those responsible for Navalny’s brutal treatment should be under no illusion – we will hold them accountability.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK and its allies were considering “all options to hold Russia and Putin to account”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Navalny’s death was a “reminder that Putin has stolen not just the wealth but also the future and democracy of the Russian people”.
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee said UK measures against Russia needed to “go a lot further”.
Navalny, who was the Russian opposition’s most significant leader for the last decade, had been serving a 19-year sentence on charges many viewed as politically motivated.
The Russian prison service said he died at the IK-3 Arctic penal colony on Friday after taking a walk and suddenly collapsing.
Navalny’s team alleges he was murdered on the orders of President Putin.
The family have been told his body will not be released for two weeks.
His mother was informed it was being held for “chemical analysis”, a representative for Navalny said.
There has been no confirmation of the whereabouts of the body from Russian authorities, while efforts to locate it have been repeatedly shut down.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has alleged the body was being kept until traces of poisoning by the nerve agent Novichok had disappeared. Navalny survived an attempt to kill him using the poison in 2020.
Mr Putin has not directly commented on his death. The Kremlin did acknowledge his death and said the Russian president was aware.
While the UK’s sanctions against Russian prison officials represent a significant step towards accountability, questions linger about the extent of Putin’s involvement and the broader implications for Russia’s political landscape.
The Kremlin’s response to Navalny’s death has been characteristically evasive, with Putin refraining from direct commentary on the matter.
Navalny’s death has also reignited debate about the efficacy of Western sanctions and the need for a coordinated international response to Russian aggression.
While the UK’s actions send a powerful message, some argue that broader economic sanctions targeting Russia’s elite may be necessary to compel meaningful change.