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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2024/2579(RSP))

On the murder of Alexei Navalny and the need for EU action in support of political prisoners and oppressed civil society in Russia

B-9-2024-0150

on behalf of the Renew Group · Rapporteur: Bernard Guetta, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, José Ramón Bauzá Díaz, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Vlad Gheorghe, Michael Kauch, Karin Karlsbro, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Jozef Mihál, JanChristoph Oetjen, Urmas Paet, Dragoş Pîslaru, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Frédérique Ries, Ramona Strugariu, Dragoş Tudorache, Hilde Vautmans, Guy Verhofstadt

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Parliament's resolution condemns the murder of Alexei Navalny and holds the Russian state and Vladimir Putin responsible. It demands an international investigation, the release of all political prisoners in Russia, and further EU sanctions on those involved in Navalny's persecution and death. It calls for EU support for independent Russian civil society, the democratic opposition and dissidents, including humanitarian visas, and for countering Kremlin propaganda with Russian-language media. It says the presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine from 15 to 17 March 2024 cannot meet international standards and will not be recognised. It calls for more political, economic and military support to Ukraine, further sanctions including the Magnitsky list, and confiscation of the Russian Central Bank's frozen assets for the Ukraine Facility.

Key points

  1. Condemns the murder of Alexei Navalny and says full responsibility rests with the Russian state and its president Vladimir Putin.
  2. Conveys condolences to Yulia Navalnaya and their family and stands in solidarity with Russians who oppose the war and uphold human values.
  3. Pays tribute to Navalny's anti-corruption and pro-democratic work and urges the Russian authorities to allow his family to organise a decent funeral.
  4. Demands an immediate, thorough, international and independent investigation into the circumstances of Navalny's death, with the EU and member states coordinating and supporting it.
  5. Condemns Kremlin-controlled disinformation campaigns against Navalny's legacy and that of his wife, family and close collaborators.
  6. Supports Russian citizens paying tribute to Navalny, stands with independent civil society and the democratic opposition, and calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Russia.
  7. Urges the Council to adopt further tough sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against all those involved in Navalny's persecution and death.
  8. Urges the Council to adopt restrictive measures against those responsible for the arbitrary arrest and detention of named opposition figures and journalists.
  9. Denounces the crackdown on government critics, human rights defenders, anti-war activists, independent journalists and LGBTIQ activists, and calls on the UN Human Rights Council to investigate inhuman imprisonment, torture and murder of political opponents.
  10. Calls for EU and member state solidarity with and active support for independent Russian civil society and the democratic opposition working to transform Russia into an open society.
  11. Urges the EU and member states to enhance strategic communication against Putin regime propaganda and to create new and support existing Russian-language media channels.
  12. Calls for EU diplomatic representations to monitor court proceedings against the political opposition and prison conditions, and for member states to provide humanitarian visas and support to dissidents at risk.

Who is affected

  • The Russian state and its president, held responsible for Navalny's murder and targeted for further EU sanctions.
  • Russian political prisoners, opposition figures and journalists, whose release and support the resolution demands.
  • Independent Russian civil society, the democratic opposition and dissidents at risk, to receive EU solidarity, support and humanitarian visas.
  • The Council, urged to adopt further sanctions, and the EU and member states, urged to support Ukraine and document human rights violations.

Figures and deadlines

  • 16 February 2024, the reported date of Alexei Navalny's death in a Siberian penal colony.
  • 17 January 2021, the date from which Navalny had been held in detention.
  • October 2023, since when three of Navalny's lawyers have been in pre-trial custody.
  • March 2023, when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin.
  • More than 21 000 anti-war activists subjected to serious reprisals in Russia in 2022, according to Amnesty International.
  • Over 600 people designated as political prisoners in Russia by the human rights group Memorial.
  • 15 to 17 March 2024, the dates of the planned Russian presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
  • 6 000 individuals named by Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, to be taken into account for the EU sanctions lists.