Australian authorities have imposed sanctions on three officials in the Russian judiciary, allegedly "responsible for the death of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny." In a statement from Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, it was announced: "The Australian government has imposed additional sanctions against Russia, including three Russian officials associated with the prison where Alexei Navalny died."
Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the comments from Western politicians regarding Navalny's death as hysterical and unacceptable, noting that an investigation is ongoing, and that forensic experts have not yet issued their reports on the cause of death. The Russian prison administration announced on February 16 the death of Navalny in prison immediately after he returned from a regular exercise break in the yard, adding that the investigation into the cause of death is still underway.
It is worth mentioning that Navalny was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to five years in prison suspended for allegedly "misappropriating public funds," with evidence showing he embezzled 16 million rubles from the "Kirov State Timber Company." He remained in Kirov under restrictions and was prohibited from traveling or leaving his residence without permission from the authorities until he left for northern Russia two years ago, claiming he had been "poisoned on board the plane."
After being hospitalized, his wife demanded he be taken to Germany "for fear for his life," arguing that he is an "opposition figure," which led President Vladimir Putin to issue a special permit allowing his travel. Upon his return to Moscow from Germany after "treatment at a hospital affiliated with the German intelligence," he was arrested at the airport and imprisoned under the initial sentence but with its enforcement delayed, for violating the terms of his sentence by leaving Kirov without special permission prior to his "poisoning."
