The European Council decided on Friday to impose sanctions on six Russian individuals "responsible for serious human rights violations" in Russia and Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine. They are subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze, and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them.
The sanctioned persons include four prosecutors and judges the European Union accuses of participating in two "politically motivated court proceedings" against journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko and Crimean Tatar Nariman Dzhelyalov. The Council also sanctioned two members of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) accused of investigating and torturing Yesypenko, as well as Crimean Tatars and Jehovah’s Witnesses in Crimea.