The European Union did not extend the sanctions against Viktor Yanukovych and his son Alexander, imposed for embezzlement of state funds, but the former president remained on another EU sanctions list.
The Council of the European Union did not extend the sanctions against the former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his son Alexander, as well as the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka and his son Artem, who imposed in 2014 for state embezzlement and embezzlement. funds. It was reported in the Official Journal of the European Union on Monday, September 12.
In March 2014, the EU introduced punitive measures against Yanukovych, Pshonka and their children as “persons prosecuted in Ukraine for the investigation of crimes related to the theft of public funds and their illegal withdraw outside” of the country.
The sanctions expired on September 6, 2022, and official Brussels decided not to renew these measures.
Yanukovych is still under other EU sanctions
At the same time, Viktor Yanukovych and his son are still under EU sanctions – in August 2022, restrictive measures were introduced against them “for their role in destroying or threatening the territorial integrity , sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, the stability and security of the state,” and in the case of Alexander Yanukovych also “for making deals with separatist groups in the Donbass region of Ukraine.”
Yanukovych and his son have repeatedly managed to get sanctions lifted in European courts. As a reason for such decisions, the courts cited the fact that the Council of the EU, before the introduction of strict measures, did not verify whether Yanukovych received the opportunity to exercise the right to protection in Ukrainian court. Since these measures are valid for one year and are renewed annually, each such decision is a separate legal action, so claims are filed separately for each annual penalty.
Shmyhal: Sanctions played their role – we can conclude
The sanctions list, from which the EU excluded Yanukovych, initially included 18 people, but Brussels gradually excluded defendants from it. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal in 2021, commenting on these measures of the EU, called it a natural development of events. “Regarding individual individuals, where the sanctions have played their role, the funds or important things stolen have been returned, of course, there the sanctions can complete their effect,” explained Shmyhal.
The former Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Ruslan Ryaboshapka, in a conversation with DW, criticized the statement of the prime minister, emphasizing that the Ukrainian authorities really failed to fully investigate the corruption of their predecessors and return the funds withdrawn by Yanukovych. “In 2014, the European Union imposed sanctions in exchange for promises to provide evidence of theft of funds by the previous government. And the government of Ukraine was unable to provide this evidence,” the former prosecutor general pointed out.
Source: DW
Recall that in July in Ukraine, an investigation into the seizure of power by Yanukovych was completed.
More than 300 million UAH of the son of a fugitive president was given to the Armed Forces of Ukraine
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.