EU sanctions Russian official over crimes against civilians in Kherson region

The European Union today added four individuals and two institutions involved in torture and gender-based violence to the list of individuals subject to the EU's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. The listing includes one of the invaders who took part in harassing the residents of Ukraine’s Kherson and Kherson region while the city remained occupied by the Russian forces.

This was reported by the European Council’s press service, an Ukrinform correspondent learned.

"Today’s designations also include Evgeniy Sobolev, the head of the so-called ‘penitentiary service’, as installed by Moscow in the temporarily occupied Kherson oblast in Ukraine. Under his command, a widespread and systematic pattern of human rights violations in detention facilities in areas under the Russian occupation authorities’ control, including the Kherson region, has been documented, including torture, and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and sexual and gender-based violence," the statement said.

Other defendants include the Syrian Army Chief of Staff and previous Defense Minister, responsible for the Syrian regime's war crimes against civilians, including torture, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence. Another designated individual is the Minister of State Security of the DPRK, who was also involved in organizing mass violence against girls and women who dared to raise their voice against the dictatorship.

In addition to individuals, two institutions were sanctioned - a gang organization in Haiti and a prison in the DPRK, which were exposed in the mass use of torture and other serious violations of human rights.

Following today's decision of the EU Council, restrictive measures under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime shall be applied to 117 individuals and 33 entities in various countries, including Russia. Sanctions include asset freezes, banning access to financial resources, and EU entry bans.

As reported earlier, the EU introduced the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime on December 7, 2020.

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