Navalny’s Allies Urge Tougher Sanctions on Putin’s Inner Circle and Oligarchs

Allies of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny called for increased Western sanctions on members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and wealthy oligarchs on Thursday, aiming to hold Putin accountable for Navalny’s death.

Navalny’s passing in an Arctic prison colony in February dealt a significant blow to Russia’s fragmented opposition. His team and his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, have repeatedly accused Putin of orchestrating his murder, though they have not provided evidence. The Kremlin has consistently denied any involvement.

Navalny’s supporters emphasized the need for Putin to face consequences for Navalny’s death.

“Vladimir Putin bears personal responsibility for the murder of Alexei Navalny, and our task is to seize every opportunity to respond to this heinous crime,” Navalny’s team stated. “Sanctions may be one such response, but only if they hurt Vladimir Putin himself and have an effect he cannot shrug off.”

Russian authorities have labeled Navalny and his supporters as extremists with alleged ties to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), claiming they seek to destabilize Russia. Navalny’s movement has been outlawed, forcing many followers to flee the country.

Operating in exile, Navalny’s team published three lists of 50 individuals each, recommending they be targeted by the U.S., Britain, and the European Union. These lists include members of Putin’s inner circle, some long-time associates, businessmen, government officials, and individuals previously investigated by Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).

Notable figures on the lists include businessmen Roman Abramovich, Vladimir Potanin, and Leonid Mikhelson, as well as senior government officials like deputy prime ministers Denis Manturov and Alexander Novak, Kremlin aide Nikolai Patrushev, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina. Igor Zelensky, the husband of Putin’s second daughter Katerina, is also named.

Many of these individuals are already under Western sanctions. The EU recently announced a new package of sanctions targeting employees of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, judges, prosecutors, and judiciary members over human rights violations following Navalny’s death.

Alexander Pomazuev, a lawyer with FBK, criticized the effectiveness of these sanctions. “Banning the employees of the Kharp colony (where Navalny died), who do not even have passports with visas, from travelling to London does not hurt anyone, including, of course, Putin himself,” Pomazuev said in a video on Navalny’s YouTube channel.

Navalny’s team argued that their proposal aims to target Putin’s “corrupt money” and create discord between the president and Russian oligarchs, who Pomazuev described as “the Kremlin’s agents of influence where the Kremlin cannot act directly.”

Putin, Pomazuev said, “does not care about the pain and suffering of most people,” but he “cannot ignore the fate of the oligarchs.” He added, “You cannot shut out your closest relatives, either.”