NSDC imposes sanctions on 33 candidates for Russia’s State Duma members

18.09.2021 11:57

Ukrinform

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine imposed personal restrictive measures against 33 candidates for members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation for involvement in the organization and conduct of elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

"The third issue considered at today's meeting of the National Security and Defense Council is the issue of sanctions … The vast majority of sanctions concern issues that exist today in the occupied territory of Crimea and in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions – the elections to the so-called State Duma of the Russian Federation. We are convinced that the Russian Federation has no right to hold elections in these territories, therefore, all participants in this process, members of the precinct commission, electioneerers, candidates, all observers who are official persons in this election, they will be sanctioned by our country," Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said at a briefing following the NSDC meeting on September 17, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He stressed that the first list of people involved in the organization and conduct of elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in the occupied territories of Ukraine had already been prepared. According to the NSDC Secretary, sanctions will soon be imposed on all of them by a decree of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"To date, sanctions are imposed on 53 members of territorial election commissions, 33 candidates for the State Duma members, 7 officials, employees of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, who were directly involved in the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. This list will be further expanded," Danilov said.

In addition, Danilov warned foreign nationals who intend to join the election process. "If they [foreign nationals] appear there as official observers or as any other person after the election, regardless of whether they are senators or any other officials who have one or another immunity, we will definitely impose sanctions on them," the NSDC Secretary stressed.

As reported, Russia holds the State Duma elections on September 17-19.

Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called on the international community not to recognize the legitimacy of these elections due to the intention of the Russian authorities to illegally hold voting in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.