Cole-Hamilton calls for sanctions over Navalny death

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today marked the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny by calling on the UK government to widen sanctions against those on the “Navalny list” and for the Scottish Government to deliver transparency over who owns land in Scotland.

Mr Cole-Hamilton, who was included on a list of British politicians and journalists banned from entering the Russian Federation in August 2022, said:

“There can be little doubt that the blame for this death, as with so many others, lies at the door of Vladimir Putin.

“Three years on from him being sentenced to prison. The UK Government still hasn't sanctioned all those named on the Navalny List. Nearly 1 in 5 of those named on the list remain unsanctioned. The government must take action immediately to freeze and begin to seize the assets of anyone found to be one of Putin’s enablers.

“Here in Scotland, we must not shy away from action either.

“From former First Minister Alex Salmond refusing to address the jailing of Navalny on his Russian chat show to Scotland’s still opaque land ownership system which allows oligarchs to disguise vast fortunes, naivety has run rampant. It is time to recognise that whether we like it or not we are in a new cold war.”