Measures to punish those responsible for human rights violations in Russia are outlined by Syed Rahman.
Foreign ministers from the 27 European Union (EU) member states have adopted a new system of sanctions to punish serious human rights violations in Russia.
The sanctions target individuals and organisations that have been identified as being responsible for the repression of Russia's political opposition. They include asset freezes and entry bans and are separate from the economic sanctions that were imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
The new sanctions were devised following the unexplained death of high-profile Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in a Siberian penal colony in February. They target Russian judges, prosecutors and members of the judiciary.
If these 19 individuals have any assets in the European Union, they will be frozen. European companies are forbidden from making funds available to them and they are not allowed to enter or travel through the EU.
The new measures also restrict the exporting of equipment that could be used for internal repression and of technology or software for use in information security or the monitoring or interception of telecommunication.
The new measures were passed at a meeting that also saw ministers discuss ways in which the EU can further support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia. The previous week had seen EU finance ministers give final approval to using profits from Russian assets frozen in Europe to buy military aid for Ukraine.
