The Council of the European Union has imposed restrictive measures on eight additional individuals in Russia, according to an official announcement.

In its announcement, the Council stated that these individuals are “responsible for serious human rights violations, the repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Russia.”

The new listings target members of the judiciary, specifically two judges, one prosecutor and one investigator, described as being “involved in politically motivated trials” and “responsible for sentencing Russian activists Dmitry Skurikhin and Oleg Belousov on politically motivated charges.”

The measures agreed also target the heads of penal colonies and a pre-detention centre where political prisoners Aleksei Gorinov, Pavel Kushnir, Mikhail Kriger and journalist Maria Ponomarenko were held.

These individuals had been “speaking out against Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and criticising Putin’s regime,” and were “kept in solitary confinement and inhuman and degrading conditions,” according to the Council.

Those designated are subject to an asset freeze, while EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them.

They are also subject to a travel ban preventing entry into or transit through EU territories.

“The EU remains unwavering in its condemnation of human rights violations and repressions in Russia, and is deeply concerned about the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in the country, especially in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the Council stated.

The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The decision forms part of a broader sanctions framework established by the Council in March 2024, which created a new framework for restrictive measures targeting those responsible for “serious human rights violations or abuses, repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and undermining democracy and the rule of law in Russia.”

The framework was introduced “as the EU’s response to the accelerating and systematic repression in Russia” and was established following the death of Alexei Navalny.

Under this regime, the EU may also target those “who provide support for or are involved in the misconduct set out above.”

Furthermore, it entails trade restrictions on exporting to Russia equipment, which might be used for internal repression and the monitoring or interception of telecommunication, according to the announcement.