Russian jailed in EU for circumventing sanctions

A court sentenced a Russian businessman to a year and a half in prison in the Netherlands and a €200,000 fine for circumventing sanctions to supply microcircuits to Russia.

Source: European Pravda with reference to the Dutch broadcaster NOS

Details: Russian Dmitry K. was detained last year in the village of Gorssel in the Dutch province of Gelderland after the Dutch Financial Investigation Service noticed suspicious transactions on his account.

It turned out that the man, who had been trading in microchips and drones for six years, had been sending these goods to Russia for seven months, in violation of the European Union's sanctions regime.

Dmitry K. tried to circumvent the sanctions by using fake companies in the Maldives, which were used to import electronics to Russian arms and defence companies.

The Dutch court concluded that the businessman had deliberately tried to circumvent EU sanctions, causing "serious damage with serious consequences" to the mechanism designed to cut Russia off from critical technologies for the defence industry.

"After the announcement of sanctions, the defendant's 'business model' was essentially to evade these sanctions," the verdict reads, as quoted by NOS.

Background: 

• The Dutch prosecutor's office requested three years in prison and a €200,000 fine for Dmitry K., but the court agreed to 18 months in prison.
• It is noted that this is the first case of ignoring sanctions against Russia that has been referred to the Dutch criminal court.
• Earlier this month, the Dutch prosecutor's office punished four Dutch companies and eight people for helping Russia build the Kerch Bridge to Crimea. 

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