US to announce new Russia sanctions after Navalny death

WASHINGTON (AFP): The United States will announce new sanctions on Russia on Friday over the death in prison of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, coinciding with the two-year anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House said.

“At President Biden’s direction, we will be announcing a major sanctions package on Friday of this week to hold Russia accountable for what happened to Mr.Navalny,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Tuesday.

He said the sanctions would also be in response to “all its actions over the course of this vicious and brutal war that has now raged on for two years.”

Russia on Friday announced the death of Navalny, a persistent critic of President Vladimir Putin who survived a 2020 poisoning, at a remote prison in the Arctic where the anti-corruption campaigner was serving a 19-year sentence.

“Whatever story the Russian government decides to tell the world, it’s clear President Putin and his government are responsible,” Kirby said.

“Absent some credible investigation into his death,” Kirby said, “it’s hard to get to a point where we can just take the Russians’ word for it.”

“We’re calling for complete transparency by the Russian government for how he died.”