EU court refuses to lift sanctions against Russian foreign minister’s son-in-law
Pravda Ukraine
The Court of Justice of the European Union has upheld sanctions against Russian businessman Alexander Vinokurov, who is married to the daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Source: European Pravda, citing the judgment posted on the court’s website
Details: Vinokurov, the president of Marathon Group and the majority stakeholder in food retail giant Magnit, had petitioned the court to consider his complaint seeking the lifting of sanctions as reasonable.
He also sought to invalidate an EU Council ruling imposing restrictive measures against him for activities that undermine or threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, with all associated costs and fees to be payable by the EU Council.
In the official EU documents, Vinokurov is identified as “a businessperson involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Russian government”.
The court judgment outlined the following reasons for his inclusion and continued listing in the sanctions register.
Quote: “[The applicant] is a Russian businessman with interests in food retail, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and infrastructure. He holds executive positions at the investment company Marathon Group and the largest Russian food retail chain, Magnit.”
Details: It also noted that he is married to Ekaterina Vinokurova, the daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and that his father, Semyon Vinokurov, previously headed the Russian state enterprise Stolichnye Apteki and is considered a leading figure in the country’s pharmaceutical industry.
Quote: “Thus, [the applicant] has close ties to the Russian government and is actively involved in sectors of the economy that are key sources of revenue for the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine.”
Details: It was further noted that on 24 February 2022, following the initial stages of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Vinokurov attended a meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and other Russian government officials, along with 36 other businessmen, to discuss the impact of Western sanctions.
Quote: “The fact that he was invited to this meeting indicates that he is part of Putin’s inner circle and that he supports or engages in actions and policies that undermine or threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, as well as its stability and security.”
Details: The court added that this is further confirmed by Vinokurov’s close personal ties to Lavrov, “who is responsible for Russia’s aggression and policies that undermine or threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence”.
Lavrov himself and members of his family such as Vinokurov are subject to Western sanctions.
Background:
- On 16 December, the Council of the European Union adopted the 15th package of economic and individual restrictive measures, which included North Korean officials and Chinese suppliers of drone kits.
- The EU’s upcoming 16th sanctions package against Russia is expected to target aluminium, agricultural products, the shadow fleet, LNG, and Russian banks.
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