You're reading: Belgian bailiffs seize Russian state’s assets

BRUSSELS– Russian institutions in Belgium, except the diplomatic missions, were notified by bailiffs on Wednesday about the Russian Federation government property and their debt to the Russian state being seized.

According to the document, the assets are being seized in accordance with a Belgian arbitration court ruling of July 18, 2014, in the case filed by Yukos Universal Limited.

The stated lawsuit sum is 1,652,685.360.24 euros.

The bailiffs pointed out that the plaintiff demanded this measure because of having serious fears about the likelihood of receiving the sum owed to it, in particular, over the Russian Federation’s systemic refusal to comply with the court rulings against it and in view of Russia’s attitude towards this ruling.

A spokeswoman for Marc Sacre – Stefan Sacre – Piet De Smet, a bailiffs firm, told Interfax that the listed organizations have two weeks to declare any or no financial and other Russian Federation assets and debts to Russia, currently at their disposal.

The list includes virtually all major banks registered in Belgium, even companies such as Eurocontrol that regulates the European airspace. The list includes all Russian representative missions (except those protected by diplomatic immunity), including the Russian Orthodox Church’s archiepiscopacy of Brussels and Belgium and the offices of nongovernment organizations and media outlets.

In motivating their decision, the bailiffs cited, among other things, Russia’s voluntary refusal to comply with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights.