Canada sanctions additional Russian propaganda agents

News release

October 17, 2022 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing further sanctions in relation to Russia’s unjustifiable invasion and attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory. The announcement was made during the visit to Ottawa of human rights and media freedom activists Bill Browder and Evgenia Kara-Murza, wife of detained Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza.

For years, the Kremlin has sought to undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity through state media and proxies that parrot President Putin’s ahistorical talking points and patently false legal claims. It has also attempted to hide the truth by severely restricting media freedoms and smothering legitimate political dissent, detaining people, like Vladimir Kara-Murza, who have the courage to speak out against Putin’s domestic repression and military aggression abroad. However, the Russian regime cannot obscure the effects of its imperialistic delusions. Those complicit in the justification of Russian human rights abuses must be held accountable.

That is why Canada is imposing sanctions on 34 individuals and 1 entity that are complicit in the dissemination of Russian disinformation and propaganda. These individuals and entity help assist the Russian regime in undermining the principles of state sovereignty and are responsible for spreading false narratives that serve as pretexts for the Russian regime’s unjustifiable war.

These new sanctions are the latest example of Canada’s efforts to support Ukraine as its counteroffensive surges to take back the land that is rightfully its own. Canada will continue to work with like-minded partners to impose further sanctions in response to Russia’s human rights violations and its ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

Quotes

“The Russian regime’s war depends on lies and deception. It muzzles and imprisons its own citizens who dare speak the truth. As the number of Russian human rights abuses continues to increase, Canada is taking measures to counter the propaganda that attempts to excuse them. We see through the lies. Canada stands with Ukraine.”

- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick facts

Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza was recently charged with treason by the Russian government for criticizing President Putin’s war in Ukraine. Mr. Kara-Murza is a senior fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, which is currently chaired by Canadian Irwin Cotler.
On October 12, 2022, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution reaffirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condemning Russia’s sham referendums in the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Since Russia’s illegal occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,800 individuals and entities. Many of these sanctions have been undertaken in coordination with Canada’s allies and partners.
Since Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,400 additional individuals and entities from and in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
In September 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry concluded that the Russian Federation has committed war crimes in Ukraine. Canada continues to support a full investigation into Russian war crimes.

Associated links

Contacts

Adrien Blanchard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Adrien.Blanchard@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
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Date modified:: 2022-10-17