EU imposes sanctions on eight more people over Russia’s occupation of Crimea

11.10.2021 17:23

Ukrinform

The Council of the European Union has decided to impose sanctions on additional 8 individuals over actions that undermine the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

“The Council today decided to impose restrictive measures on an additional 8 individuals for actively supporting actions and implementing policies that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” reads the press release published on the website of the Council of the EU.

As noted, the persons added to the EU sanctions list include law enforcement officials – judges, prosecutors and security officers – responsible for enforcing Russian law in the illegally-annexed Crimea and Sevastopol. Those individuals have taken biased decisions in politically-motivated cases, and prosecuted or oppressed opponents of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.

EU restrictive measures regarding the territorial integrity of Ukraine now apply to a total of 185 persons and 48 entities. Those designated persons are subject to an asset freeze – including a prohibition on making funds available to them - and a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through the EU.

The relevant legal acts, including the names of the persons concerned, will be published in the Official Journal.

“The European Union does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and of the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, and continues to condemn the Russian violation of international law. Moreover, the EU remains unwavering in its support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” the statement underscores.

As a reminder, restrictive measures regarding actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine were first introduced on 17 March 2014. These restrictive measures are reviewed and renewed every six months and are currently in force until 15 March 2022.

Other EU measures implemented in response to the crisis in Ukraine include economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy, currently in place until 31 January 2022 and restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol and currently in place until 23 June 2022.