Canada joins U.S., Britain in sanctioning Russian justice officials, political court

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This article was published 18/08/2023 (812 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – Canada is again joining the U.S. and Britain in sanctioning officials accused of corruption, this time involving Russia’s justice system.

The new sanctions include the Basmanny District Court, a notorious Moscow tribunal known for sentencing political opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Basmanny court has sentenced Russian opposition politicians Vladimir Kara-Murza and Alexei Navalny in the past.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says the sanctions are a direct reaction to Russia suppressing dissent, and allowing for human-rights violations and state-sponsored violence.

The sanctions include 15 Russian citizens and three entities, largely those involved in the judiciary and federally funded courts.

Those listed are restricted from financial dealings in Canada, or from visiting the country.

The Russian human-rights group OVD-Info says more than 20,000 citizens have been detained for speaking out against Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which cannot legally be called a war in Russia.

Ottawa has promised for months to seize and forfeit Russian assets held in Canada owned by Putin’s affiliates but has yet to do so.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2023.