The European Union and the United States announced simultaneously on March 2 that they were imposing new sanctions on Russia. This is the first Time the EU has used the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Act, similar to the U.S. Magnitsky Act, adopted last December. Members of the European Parliament and academics have questioned the EU’s first use of the Human Rights and Democracy Action Plan tool to sanction Russia, while no sanctions have been imposed on China, which has an even worse human rights record.
The European Union and the United States announced new sanctions against Russia at the same time over the case of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned by the Russian government last August and sentenced to prison upon his return. The Russian Foreign Ministry responded that the move was a hostile anti-Russian attack and that counter-sanctions would be imposed on the U.S. and Europe.
This is the first time the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Russia, which will set the tone for future U.S. policy toward Russia, and it is the first time the EU has used the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Act, a new tool for imposing sanctions on institutions or people who commit serious human rights violations and abuses, which was passed last December similar to the U.S. Magnitsky Act.
The U.S. punitive measures are sanctions against seven senior Russian officials, and the related decisions were made after consultation with the EU. The foreign ministers of the EU member states are concerned about Russia’s turn to an authoritarian regime and are moving away from Europe, having adopted the sanctions decision last week, said Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy: “The ministers unanimously explained Russia’s recent actions and took them as a clear signal that the authorities do not want to cooperate with the EU. On the contrary, it seems to wish to engage in confrontation with the EU.”
The EU announced sanctions against four senior Russian officials in the judicial and law enforcement systems through an official communiqué on Feb. 2. The restrictive measures taken include a travel ban to the EU and a personal assets freeze. In addition, the communiqué prohibits any individuals and legal entities from providing funds to the listed persons.
This is the first time that the United States and the EU have cooperated closely on human rights issues and imposed similar sanctions on the same matter. In doing so, the Biden Administration hopes to send a “strong signal” to Russia about respect for human rights, while demonstrating the importance of U.S. action with allies.
While the European Union has legitimized the use of the human rights sanctions regime by using the tools of the Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy against Russia for the first time, there has been no action against China, which has an even worse human rights record. system? Chen Quanguo, Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, and Xia Baolong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, should be included in the EU sanctions list.
Antoine Bondaz, a researcher at the French Foundation for Strategic Studies (FRS), also pointed out that the EU’s first use of the new human rights sanctions regime was aimed at Russia, not China, but China is in a much worse situation.
The principle of sanctions was decided in a meeting of foreign ministers of EU member states, which imposed a new violent crackdown on China in Hong Kong, “prepared to take restrictive measures” and considered imposing sanctions on Myanmar that could target military-owned companies.
The EU also issued a statement on March 3 strongly condemning the continued violent crackdown on peaceful protesters by Myanmar’s military and security forces, which has resulted in the loss of innocent civilian lives. Unarmed civilians and medical personnel have been shot at in clear violation of international law. The EU also criticized the Burmese military for having been stepping up its crackdown on the media, with an increasing number of journalists being arbitrarily arrested and detained and charged. The EU believes that Burma must be accountable and restore democracy.
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