The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States of the European Union (COREPER) has extended sanctions for ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his associates for another year.
A diplomatic source in Brussels told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday. However, it did not specify the details of the decision.
At the same time, it became known earlier that ex-Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and ex-Minister of Energy Eduard Stavytsky are excluded from the list, and sanctions against Yanukovych’s son Oleksandr can be extended only for six months.
Thus, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka and his son Artem, former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Viktor Ratushniak, former First Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov, ex-Minister for Income and Tax Oleksandr Klymenko, ex-Minister of Education Dmytro Tabachnyk, and oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko will remain on the sanctions list.
Sanctions imposed by the EU since March 5, 2014, against 18 senior officials of President Yanukovych’s times in the form of a freeze of assets are extended for a year. However, many of the defendants in the sanctions list regularly appeal against the decision of the EU. The EU court has already made a number of decisions in its favor. At the same time, a number of ex-officials are excluded from the list. So, for example, last year Andriy Kliuyev was excluded from the sanctions list, who challenged this decision in the EU Court. After making a decision this year, 10 names will remain on the list.
As reported, on March 5, 2014, the EU imposed sanctions in the form of assets freeze on 18 former senior officials of Ukraine for misappropriation of Ukrainian state funds or for abuse of office.
