Two people convicted in Germany for violating sanctions against Russia
A court in Hamburg has sentenced two German citizens for violating an arms embargo on Russia imposed after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, reported the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
One of the convicts is a 41-year-old businessman from Augsburg in southwestern Bavaria. He was sentenced to 3 years 9 months in prison, as fine of almost €8 million.
The first of the accused, Alexander S., was detained in February last year. According to investigators, from January 2016 to January 2018, Alexander S. sold to "clients in Russia, operating in the military field," metal-processing equipment, which, among other things, can be used in military missile production. He provided incorrect information about the alleged use of items to the inspecting authorities.
According to the law, this equipment is categorized as dual-use goods banned for export to Russia. To circumvent the checks, the individual made contracts through fictitious recipients. In total, his company made seven such deliveries. The interim buyer was a civilian company, but in the end the machinery was supplied to a defense company.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Russia in 2014 due to the involvement in the war in eastern Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. Sanctions restrict access to the EU's primary and secondary capital markets for some Russian banks and companies and prohibit the import and export of military equipment. The ban also applies to dual-use goods that can be used for military purposes. In addition, Russia has limited access to sensitive technologies, including in the oil industry.