Alexei Navalny calls for EU sanctions on Russian oligarchs

Opposition leader urges MEPs to target Roman Abramovich, Alisher Usmanov and others

The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has called on the EU to impose sanctions on Kremlin-linked Russian oligarchs including the Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, calling Vladimir Putin and his entourage “a bunch of criminals who temporarily took over power” in the country.

Navalny was one of four Russian opposition politicians to address the European parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Friday by video link. He is recovering in Germany from a poisoning attempt in August but has said he plans to return to Russia.