EU lifts sanctions on deceased Russian politician
The EU has said it will be extending sanctions against Russian nationals until the spring of 2023, but added that the late Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who died this past April, will no longer be on the list.
The decision was announced by the European Council in the Official Journal of the European Union on Wednesday. It stated that the restrictions against Russian individuals accused of “undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine” would last until March 15, 2023.
Aside from Zhirinovsky, who was the founder and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), the EU also removed Olga Aiziman – the former wife of Russian business tycoon Mikhail Fridman – as well as Saodat Narzieva, the sister of billionaire and former Arsenal football club shareholder Alisher Usmanov.
Over 1,200 people and 108 legal entities are under EU sanctions. The list was initially formed in 2014 after Crimea seceded from Kiev’s rule after a public referendum and reunited with Russia. The number of individuals targeted was significantly increased after Moscow launched its military offensive against Kiev in February.
The list includes members of the Russian government, high-ranking politicians, MPs, businessmen, journalists and other public figures. All the sanctioned individuals are barred from traveling to the EU and their assets in the bloc have been frozen.
Russia’s Central Bank (CBR) estimated back in July that Western sanctions had frozen nearly $100 billion worth of investments belonging to over five million Russian citizens who held foreign stocks in Western accounts.
Earlier this month, CBR head Elvira Nabiullina proposed creating a compensation fund for affected Russian investors by using the income generated from the frozen assets of nonresidents who have been sanctioned by Russia.
