The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on five Russian individuals connected to the alleged poisoning and detention of opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is known in Russia as a foreign agent and who previously received a 25-year prison sentence. The British government report notes this action as part of ongoing responses to human rights concerns surrounding Kara-Murza.
Sanctions were announced by Secretary of State James Cleverly. Those targeted include Elena Lenskaya, a judge from Moscow’s Basmanny District Court who ordered Kara-Murza into pre-trial detention, and investigators Andrei Zadachin and Denis Kolesnikov who initiated a criminal case against him. In addition, the UK sanctioned FSB officers Alexander Samofal and Konstantin Kudryavtsev, described by London as members of the operational group that tracked Kara-Murza after the 2015 death of Boris Nemtsov and during subsequent years, including 2017.
Foreign Minister Cleverly underscored Britain’s intention to support political opposition in Russia, asserting that Kara-Murza’s treatment and verdict illustrate a persistent disregard for basic human rights. Kara-Murza, who holds British citizenship, affirmed that the country will not tolerate such treatment of a citizen. As part of the sanctions, those five Russians will be barred from entering the UK, and their assets will be frozen.
England will continue to back Kara-Murza and his family. A spokesperson urged Russia to release him immediately and unconditionally, noting the ongoing concern for his welfare.
Russian political figures responded to the sanctions. Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, dismissed the move as the action of what he described as London’s perpetual hostility toward Moscow. He criticized Britain and proclaimed that England remains an enduring adversary, remarking on past tensions and referencing Moscow’s latest weapon systems in a public channel message.
Two poisoning incidents
The British Foreign Office reference notes two poisoning episodes in 2015 and 2017. In both cases, Kara-Murza endured severe symptoms requiring medical care and hospitalization. In May 2015, he faced acute kidney failure, while his lungs, heart, kidneys, and liver were severely affected. He underwent life support and later entered rehabilitation abroad. Reports cited elevated manganese, zinc, copper, and mercury levels in his body, indicating a significant chemical exposure at the time.
In 2017, Kara-Murza deteriorated again with kidney problems and was placed in a temporary artificial coma. On May 25, 2021, Kara-Murza’s legal representative announced that the Moscow Investigative Committee had declined to open a criminal case concerning the 2015 and 2017 poisonings.
Criminal case and sentence
In April 2022, Kara-Murza was detained on suspicion of disseminating false information about Russian military actions in Ukraine. On April 17, 2023, Moscow City Court sentenced him to 25 years in a penal colony, with additional penalties including a six-month freedom restriction and a fine for treason, involvement with an undesirable organization, and discrediting the Russian army. He was also prohibited from engaging in journalism for seven years following his release.
Kara-Murza has maintained that he did not admit guilt, alleging persecution for his political views. In his final remarks, he described encounters with security forces and masked officials as a consequence of speaking out in Russia, emphasizing the consequences of dissent.
Following the ruling, the British and Russian diplomatic channels engaged in a reciprocal exchange. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador in London to discuss the decision and asserted that calls for annulling the court ruling represented unacceptable interference in Russia’s internal affairs. It also argued that London’s references to Kara-Murza’s British citizenship were legally invalid under Russian law and criticized Western criticism of Moscow on human rights matters as unacceptable.
In the aftermath of the decision, London did not extend sanctions to other Russian citizens, while Latvia moved to ban entry for ten Russians involved in Kara-Murza’s case. Simultaneously, U.S. and Canadian diplomats joined in calls for Kara-Murza’s release, and lawmakers from those nations echoed the stance publicly.