BRUSSELS, 3 March, 2021, (TON): The European Union (EU) on Tuesday imposed restrictive measures on four Russian officials responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia.

The EU Council has adopted council Implementing regulation (EU) 2021/371 and Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/372, which designates 4 Russian officials for serious human rights violations.

The four individual listed were Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia's Investigative Committee; Igor Krasnov, the Prosecutor-General; Viktor Zolotov, head of the National Guard; and Alexander Kalashnikov, head of the Federal Prison Service.

Russian officials were sanctioned for their "roles in the arbitrary arrest, prosecution and sentencing of Alexei Navalny, as well as the repression of peaceful protests in connection with his unlawful treatment," said the Council of the EU in a press release.

This is the first time that the EU has made designations under its new EU global human rights sanctions Regime. Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy made the decision.

The restrictive measures that entered into force on Tuesday consist of a travel ban and asset freeze. In addition, persons and entities in the EU are forbidden from making funds available to those listed, either directly or indirectly, said the release.

The United States also announced on Tuesday sanctions and restrictions against Russian individuals and entities over the alleged poisoning of Navalny.

Alexei Anatolievich Navalny is a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption activist. He came to international prominence by organizing anti-government demonstrations and running for office to advocate reforms against corruption in Russia, and against President Vladimir Putin and his government.

Navalny, a harsh Kremlin critic, fell into a coma on a flight from the Russian city of Tomsk to Moscow in August 2020. He was then transferred to a hospital in Berlin with suspected poisoning symptoms.

Navalny is now serving a prison sentence of two and a half years in a penal colony

Russia said the case with Navalny is a purely domestic affair and foreign intervention is not allowed.