Media: EU revising sanctions against Yanukovych
The European Union (EU) has begun work to revise sanctions against former Ukrainian officials that are scheduled to expire on March 6. This concerns the fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych in particular, UNIAN reports, citing an EU Council representative.
"Work on the latest review has begun. As usual, the decision will be made before the expiration of the decision that currently exists," the agency's source noted.
On March 6, 2014, the European Union imposed sanctions against former Ukrainian officials who served during the presidency of Yanukovych for abusing public finances and violating human rights. Under the sanctions, the assets of these officials were frozen.
While reviewing the list, the EU can make changes regarding the exclusion of certain persons. For example, the deceased son of former President Viktor Yanukovych has been removed from the list; similarly, former Regions Party MP Yuriy Ivanyushchenko was removed last year.
The last time the sanctions against Ukrainian ex-officials were extended was in March 2017.
In addition to Yanukovych, the sanctions list includes former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka and his son Artyom, former Minister of Justice Olena Lukash, former head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Klyuyev and MP Serhiy Klyuev, former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Viktor Ratushniak, former First Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov, former Minister of Revenue and Collections Oleksandr Klymenko, former Minister of Energy Eduard Stavitsky, former Minister of Education Dmytro Tabachnyk, and oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko.