Canada hits Russia with new sanctions for Navalny's death, human rights violations.

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Canada imposed new sanctions against 13 Russian individuals over the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Moscow's "continued gross and systematic violations of human rights," the Canadian government announced June 18. Navalny, Putin's main political opponent, died on Feb.

16 in a penal colony in northern Russia, after being convicted in several fabricated criminal cases as part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent. The new sanctions target high-level officials in Russia's investigative agency, penitentiary service, and police force who played a role in the abuse and death of Navalny.

"As we are living in a period of multiple interconnected crises, it is important to keep the focus on the efforts of Russians in their fight for basic rights and freedom," Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said. "Today's sanctions further demonstrate a strong front against the Kremlin's continued gross violations of human rights and its suppression of Russian civil society and political opposition." Joly reportedly spoke with Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's widow, to share the sanctions announcement.

Canada recently introduced new Russian sanctions on June 13 during the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders Summit in Italy. The sanctions target 11 Russian individuals and 16 entities who have been purportedly engaged in activities that support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The European Union on May 27 announced a new sanctions regime against Russia in connection with Navalny's death.

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