Finland and Sweden on Monday summoned their ambassadors to Russia over the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Finland’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the ambassador “to emphasize that Russia is responsible and to demand a full and transparent investigation. We continue to call for the release of all Russian political prisoners.” “There is,” he said.
Sweden echoed these sentiments, stressing the need for justice and accountability in Navalny’s case.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Bilström stressed the need for action by the European Union in the wake of the events surrounding Navalny’s death.
“The EU must take action against Russia’s political repression,” Bilström said in a statement. “This is especially true given the fact that Alexei Navalny died in Russian custody on February 16. It is particularly important.”
“Sweden today took the initiative of the EU to investigate the possibility of a new sanctions regime targeting repression in Russia,” the statement said.
Russian prisons announced Friday that a 47-year-old rebel leader died in prison while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges.
The statement added that Navalny lost consciousness after a walk in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region in the Arctic Circle, where the colony is located.
Russian authorities conducted several tests to confirm the facts regarding his death.
Navalny was arrested in January 2021 after returning to Moscow after receiving treatment for his addiction in a Berlin hospital. Western countries and Navalny himself have insisted that Russia was responsible for the poisoning, a claim the Kremlin denies.
In August 2021, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison for extremism and other crimes. He was already serving a sentence of 11 years and 5 months in prison for fraud.