Latest news with #DmitriiOvsiannikov
South China Morning Post
11-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
UK jails former Russia minister for 40 months for violating sanctions
A former Russian government minister who violated British sanctions by receiving significant financial support from family members was sentenced Friday to more than three years in prison. Advertisement Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin, became the first person convicted of violating the sanctions put in place after the illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. He set up a British bank account to illegally receive tens of thousands of pounds from his wife and accepted gifts and payments from his brother, prosecutors said. Ovsiannikov, 48, was convicted on Wednesday in London's Southwark Crown Court of six counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024, and two counts of money laundering. He was sentenced to 40 months behind bars. Ovsiannikov, who also served as deputy minister for industry and trade, was an important political figure placed under European Union sanctions in 2017 for work that threatened the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, prosecutors said. Former Russia government minister and former Mayor of Sevastopol, Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, and his wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova arrive at court in London on Monday. Photo: AFP The sanctions prevented him from depositing or withdrawing funds in EU countries. Although the EU sanctions were annulled by the Court of Justice of the EU in 2022, they remained in place in the UK under the Russian Regulations adopted in 2019 as it left the bloc.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Putin-appointed Crimea governor jailed for UK sanctions breach
LONDON (Reuters) - A Russian politician appointed by President Vladimir Putin as governor of Russia-annexed Crimea's largest city was jailed for 40 months on Friday after being found guilty of breaching British sanctions, the first such conviction in Britain. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, – who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in July 2016, two years after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine – was found guilty earlier this week of six counts of circumventing sanctions and two counts of possessing or using criminal property. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a seventh charge of circumventing sanctions. After losing his job as the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in Russia, Ovsiannikov applied to have his EU sanctions lifted and moved to London. He was accused of getting his wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47, to pay 76,000 pounds ($97,000) into his account, some of which was so that he could buy a Mercedes-Benz SUV. Prosecutors said Ovsiannikov then got his 47-year-old brother Alexei Owsjanikow to buy the car and insurance for it, before Owsjanikow later paid just over 41,000 pounds ($53,554) for his brother's children's private school fees. Owsjanikow was convicted of two counts of circumventing sanctions, in relation to the school fees, but was acquitted in relation to the car and insurance. Ovsiannikov's wife was cleared of all charges. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov was jailed for 40 months at London's Southwark Crown Court. His brother was given a 15-month prison term but suspended for 15 months. "Dmitrii Ovsiannikov and his family clearly knew that he was subject to these sanctions and deliberately took steps to circumvent the controls," said Graeme Biggar, Director General of Britain's National Crime Agency. "These convictions demonstrate not only that designated individuals are on our radar, but so are those who enable breaches of the regulations." When Ovsiannikov was charged last year, the National Crime Agency said he was the first person to be charged in Britain with breaching sanctions relating to Russia. ($1 = 0.7656 pounds)
Reuters
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Former Putin-appointed Crimea governor jailed for UK sanctions breach
LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - A Russian politician appointed by President Vladimir Putin as governor of Russia-annexed Crimea's largest city was jailed for 40 months on Friday after being found guilty of breaching British sanctions, the first such conviction in Britain. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, – who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in July 2016, two years after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine – was found guilty earlier this week of six counts of circumventing sanctions and two counts of possessing or using criminal property. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a seventh charge of circumventing sanctions. After losing his job as the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in Russia, Ovsiannikov applied to have his EU sanctions lifted and moved to London. He was accused of getting his wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47, to pay 76,000 pounds ($97,000) into his account, some of which was so that he could buy a Mercedes-Benz SUV. Prosecutors said Ovsiannikov then got his 47-year-old brother Alexei Owsjanikow to buy the car and insurance for it, before Owsjanikow later paid just over 41,000 pounds ($53,554) for his brother's children's private school fees. Owsjanikow was convicted of two counts of circumventing sanctions, in relation to the school fees, but was acquitted in relation to the car and insurance. Ovsiannikov's wife was cleared of all charges. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov was jailed for 40 months at London's Southwark Crown Court. His brother was given a 15-month prison term but suspended for 15 months. "Dmitrii Ovsiannikov and his family clearly knew that he was subject to these sanctions and deliberately took steps to circumvent the controls," said Graeme Biggar, Director General of Britain's National Crime Agency. "These convictions demonstrate not only that designated individuals are on our radar, but so are those who enable breaches of the regulations." When Ovsiannikov was charged last year, the National Crime Agency said he was the first person to be charged in Britain with breaching sanctions relating to Russia.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Russian minister sentenced to 40 months in prison for violating British sanctions
LONDON (AP) — A former Russian government minister who violated British sanctions by receiving significant financial support from family members was sentenced Friday to more than three years in prison. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin, became the first person convicted of violating the sanctions put in place after the illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. He set up a British bank account to illegally receive tens of thousands of pounds from his wife and accepted gifts and payments from his brother, prosecutors said. Ovsiannikov, 48, was convicted Wednesday in Southwark Crown Court of six counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024, and two counts of money laundering. He was sentenced to 40 months behind bars. Ovsiannikov, who also served as deputy minister for industry and trade, was an important political figure placed under European Union sanctions in 2017 for work that threatened the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, prosecutors said. The sanctions prevented him from depositing or withdrawing funds in EU countries. Although the EU sanctions were annulled by the Court of Justice of the EU in 2022, they remained in place in the U.K. under the Russian Regulations adopted in 2019 as it left the bloc. 'He knew he had been on the U.K. sanctions list since 2017 but chose to ignore this,' said Julius Capon of the Crown Prosecution Service. 'Another member of his family sought deliberately to breach the sanctions to live their own lavish lifestyle and showed complete disregard for the law.' Ovsiannikov resigned as Sevastopol governor in 2019, and returned to his role in the Russian government but was later dismissed and he was expelled from the United Russia party in 2020. He moved to the U.K. in February 2023. His brother, Alexei Owsjanikow, 47, was convicted of two counts of circumventing sanctions for paying school tuition for Ovsiannikov's children. He was acquitted of three additional counts of breaching sanctions for buying his brother a Mercedes-Benz worth 54,500 pounds ($70,000) and giving him access to a bank account. Owsjanikow was given a 15-month suspended sentence. Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47, was cleared of four counts of circumventing sanctions for allegedly funneling 76,000 pounds ($97,000) to her husband. Defense lawyers for the most part did not dispute those transactions but argued the brother and wife didn't know Ovsiannikov faced sanctions or were unaware he couldn't receive financial assistance. All three are Russian nationals, though Ovsiannikov and his brother have British passports because their father was born in England. The case was the first prosecution for breaching sanctions put in place by the U.K. in 2019, according to prosecutors.
Washington Post
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Former Russian minister sentenced to 40 months in prison for violating British sanctions
LONDON — A former Russian government minister who violated British sanctions by receiving significant financial support from family members was sentenced Friday to more than three years in prison. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin, became the first person convicted of violating the sanctions put in place after the illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
