The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR Group) in the European Parliament welcomed the adoption of a resolution in favor of tougher sanctions on Russia over the situation with Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2020) The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR Group) in the European Parliament welcomed the adoption of a resolution in favor of tougher sanctions on Russia over the situation with Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny.
In the resolution adopted earlier on Thursday, the parliament demands that the EU establishes as soon as possible a list of ambitious restrictive measures against Russia and strengthens its existing sanctions against Moscow over alleged assassination attempt of Navalny.
"We strongly condemn the violence against leading Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalnyi, and we call for a complete and transparent investigation by international institutions. We urge all international actors to respond adequately to this case as the offensive use of any military-grade nerve agent is unacceptable," the ECR Group said in a statement.
ECR Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anna Fotyga said that the case should send a strong signal to EU institutions and member states that "joint projects with Russia, especially North Stream 2, should immediately be stopped."
On August 20, Navalny fell ill during a domestic Russian flight. He was initially treated in the Siberian city of Omsk, where the plane made an emergency landing. Two days later, once the doctors established he was fit for cross-border aerial transportation, the opposition figure was flown to the Charite hospital in Germany for further treatment.
Later, the German government said doctors had found traces of a nerve agent from the Novichok group in his system. Moscow responded by pointing out the lack of evidence in Berlin's claims and noting that Russian doctors had found no toxic substances in Navalny.
Charite reported on September 7 that Navalny's condition had improved, he had been taken out of a coma and disconnected from the ventilator.
The alleged poisoning of Navalny prompted many European officials to call for imposing additional sanctions on Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Moscow will respond reciprocally if the Western countries impose new sanctions over the Navalny case.
