Two hundred MEPs call for European sanctions to focus on corruption

Recent demonstrations in Russia that have taken place for the last weeks in all regions  of this country are a clear protest of Russian citizens towards President Vladimir Putin and a  strong signal of solidarity towards the unlawfully arrested and sanctioned Alexei Navalny, a  Russian anti-corruption activist and leader of the political opposition.

Protests have quickly  become a symbol of the struggle for freedom of expression, democracy and political rights as  well as the lack of peoples’ approval for the corruption of the government and the president  that Mr Navalny has uncover. The world cannot remain silent in this situation.

A decisive  reaction from the international community, and especially from the European Union, in  reaction to the illegal detention and imprisonment of Navalny and other anti-corruption  activists is an urgent need. Many of you, Foreign Affairs Ministers and you, Mr High Representative has spoken quickly calling for an immediate release of Mr Navalny, thank you  for doing so.

At stake is the credibility of the EU and the whole international community, both:  in the eyes of its own citizens and in the perception of our partners around the world. History  proves that leniency towards authoritarian power only consolidate a regime.

Meanwhile, the  number of people arrested during the latest demonstrations is a record in a post-Soviet  Russia. The persecution of political opponents and the attempt to poison them is already a  fact. By sentencing Alexei Navalny to 3,5 years imprisonment without any legal basis and  factual evidence, the Russian government disregards even more all international and legal  obligations and mocks the rule of law. These are all facts for which we have hard evidence. It  is now time for a strong political response. 

In our opinion, the EU’s adequate response to this situation are personal sanctions for Russian  oligarchs and people who enable Putin’s government to persecute political opponents and 

mass arrests of protesting citizens. Clear legal criteria are needed to implement them at EU  level. Such a tool is already in place and it is the Regulation concerning restrictive measures  against serious human rights violations and abuses. The document adopted in December  2020 by the EU Council, commonly referred to as the “EU Magnitsky Act”, following the  example of American solutions, aims to accelerate the EU sanctions procedure.  Unfortunately, the current text of the Council Regulation lacks a very important clause on  corruption as a reason for imposing sanctions. Alexei Navalny was one of many who has been  appealing for such a clause being included in the Regulation. While being a speaker at the  European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in November 2020, he said bluntly: “If only possible, the EU should follow the money. Russian oligarchs, old and young, the circle around  Putin should be in the EU’s sights when it comes to sanctions, it makes no sense to only  impose sanctions on generals or lieutenants who travel little and have no real estate in the  EU”. 

Sanctions on Russian oligarchs – according to Navalny – would gain the support of the vast  majority of Russian society and would have the expected effect – fear and a change in the  behaviour of the Russian authorities. 

Therefore, we, as National Parliamentarians and Members of the European Parliament, call  on the EU governments and the European Commission to extend the catalogue of crimes in  Art. 2 of the Council Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 of 7 December 2020 and to include the corruption as a sufficient reason for imposing EU sanctions. We also call, in the second step,  to apply this regulation to the Russian oligarchs and associates of Vladimir Putin who have  been repeatedly proven to be involved in corrupt activities. Moreover, we strongly believe  that sanctions should also be applied against high-rank officials and clerks of Russian  administration, especially in judiciary and power’s structures of regime who are involved in  the unlawful sentence and poisoning of the political opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. 

Only a bold and firm reaction of the European Union to the events taking place in Russia can  contribute to the democratization of the Russian political system, stabilize European  continent and support the vast majority of Russian citizens in their fight for the dignity, civil  liberties and political freedoms. The democratic world cannot consent to political murders, 

imprisonment of political opponents and unlawful court sentences. Silence and the lack of  adequate sanctions implies such a consent. Demonstrations of many hundreds of thousands,  which have been taking place for several weeks, are also the Russians’ call for help from the  democratic world. 

Kind regards, 

MP Kluzik-Rostkowska Joanna, the Polish Parliament 

Halicki Andrzej, Member of the European Parliament 

Guetta Bernard, Member of the European Parliament 

Kubilius Andrius, Member of the European Parliament 

Lexmann Miriam, Member of the European Parliament 

Niedermayer Ludek, Member of the European Parliament 

Terras Riho, Member of the European Parliament 

Adamowicz Magdalena, Member of the European Parliament 

Andrews Barry, Member of the European Parliament 

Ansip Andrus, Member of the European Parliament 

Ara-Kovacs Attila; Member of the European Parliament 

Arba Kokalari, Member of the European Parliament 

Arena Maria, Member of the European Parliament 

Arłukowicz Bartosz, Member of the European Parliament 

Bas Eickhout, Member of the European Parliament 

Basescu Traian, Member of the European Parliament 

Belka Marek, Member of the European Parliament 

Biedroń Robert, Member of the European Parliament 

Bilčík Vladimír, Member of the European Parliament 

Brudziński Joachim, Member of the European Parliament 

Buzek Jerzy, Member of the European Parliament,  

Cimoszewicz Włodzimierz, Member of the European Parliament 

Csaba Molnár, Member of the European Parliament 

Dobrev Klára, Member of the European Parliament 

Donath Anna, Member of the European Parliament 

Falca Gheorghe, Member of the European Parliament

Bogovič Franc, Member of the European Parliament

Frankowski Tomasz, Member of the European Parliament

Gheorghe Vlad, Member of the European Parliament

Glucksmann Raphaël, Member of the European Parliament

Grudler Christophe, Member of the European Parliament

Hansen Christophe, Member of the European Parliament

Hetman Krzysztof, Member of the European Parliament

Huebner Danuta, Member of the European Parliament

Jaki Patryk, Member of the European Parliament

Jarubas Adam, Member of the European Parliament

Jukneviciene Rasa, Member of the European Parliament

Jurzyca Eugen, Member of the European Parliament

Kalniete Sandra, Member of the European Parliament

Kim van Sparrentak, Member of the European Parliament

Kohut Łukasz, Member of the European Parliament

Kuźmiuk Zbigniew, Member of the European Parliament

Lega David, Member of the European Parliament

Lewandowski Janusz, Member of the European Parliament

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Mikser Sven, Member of the European Parliament

Możdżanowska Andżelika, Member of the European Parliament

Ochojska Janina, Member of the European Parliament

Olbrycht Jan, Member of the European Parliament

Peter Lundgren, Member of the European Parliament

Polfjärd Jessica, Member of the European Parliament

Radan Kanev, Member of the European Parliament

Ries Frédérique, Member of the European Parliament

Rodríguez Ramos Maria Soraya, Member of the European Parliament

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Tineke Strik, Member of the European Parliament 

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Tomac Eugen, Member of the European Parliament 

Tudorache Ioan-Dragos, Member of the European Parliament

Vaidere Inese, Member of the European Parliament 

Van Dalen Peter, Member of the European Parliament 

Vandenkendelaere Tom, Member of the European Parliament

Verhofstadt Guy, Member of the European Parliament 

Warborn Jörgen, Member of the European Parliament 

Waszczykowski Witold, Member of the European Parliament

Weimers Charlie, Member of the European Parliament 

Wiśniewska Jadwiga, Member of the European Parliament

Yordanov Alexander, Member of the European Parliament

Zalewska Anna, Member of the European Parliament 

Zile Roberts, Member of the European Parliament 

Złotowski Kosma, Member of the European Parliament 

Zver Milan, Member of the European Parliament

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