Australia slaps sanctions on Russian elites linked to ‘silencing’ Putin critics, war in Ukraine

Australia has slapped sanctions on more than a dozen Russian elites, including government officials closely allied with Vladimir Putin.

Among those targeted are judges who have inflicted harsh penalties on critics of the Russian President, industry executives, and senior senators.

“The Australian government is imposing further targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against 14 individuals responsible for silencing political expression in Russia, as well as enabling the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced on Wednesday.

“The human rights situation in Russia continues to deteriorate with violent crackdowns aimed at suppressing human rights and anti-war advocacy.

“We condemn Russia’s intimidation and reprisals against civil society and human rights defenders, and reiterate our call for Russia to comply with its international human rights obligations.”

Senator Wong also said she would meet with Yulia Navalnaya – the widow of famed political dissident Alexei Navalny.

Mr Navalny was a global symbol of resistance to Vladimir Putin’s presidency and had been incarcerated since 2021 on trumped-up charges.

He was being held in Russia’s notorious IK-3 penal colony – a maximum security labour camp in the Arctic Circle – when he “felt unwell after a walk” and “almost immediately” fell unconscious in February 2024, according to Russia’s prison service.

Many world leaders have blamed the Russian President, to whom Mr Navalny was a dangerous thorn in his side, undermining his decades-long grasp on power.

The Kremlin has rejected the charge.

Mr Navalny’s wife has carried on his work and chairs the International Anti-Corruption Foundation Advisory Board.

“Ms Navalnaya is a fearless voice for democracy in Russia, continuing her fight at immense personal cost,” Senator Wong said.

“Russia failed to undertake an independent and transparent investigation into Mr Navalny’s death, and Australia holds President Putin and the Russian government responsible.

“We honour Ms Navalnaya’s courage and reflect on Mr Navalny’s sacrifice and enduring legacy in the fight for freedom and justice.”

The Albanese government has already imposed three packages of sanctions on Russians linked to Mr Navalny’s “poisoning, mistreatment and death” since 2022.

The action, as well as Canberra’s staunch support for Ukraine, has earned Australia a spot on Mr Putin’s list of “unfriendly countries”.