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Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2195 of 13 December 2021 implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses

Type Implementing Regulation

Publication 2021-12-13

State In force

Text As published

Department Council of the European Union

Source EUR-Lex

articles 2

This is the act as published. Later amendments are not folded into the text below: each one is a separate act in this repository and an entry in this law's history.

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13.12.2021	EN	Official Journal of the European Union	LI 445/10

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 of 7 December 2020 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses ¹, and in particular Article 14(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

(1) On 7 December 2020, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2020/1998.

(2) On 8 December 2020, in a Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union regarding the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, the Union and its Member States reaffirmed their strong commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. The EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime underscores the Union’s determination to enhance its role in addressing serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide. Achieving the effective enjoyment of human rights by everyone is a strategic goal of the Union. Respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights are fundamental values of the Union and its Common Foreign and Security Policy.

(3) On 2 March 2021, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2021/372 ² and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/371 ³, which designated four Russian individuals involved in serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as widespread and systematic repression of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and freedom of opinion and expression.

(4) On 22 March 2021, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2021/481 ⁴ and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/478 ⁵, which designated 11 individuals and four entities involved in serious human rights violations in China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Libya, Eritrea, South Sudan and Russia, including torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances or systematic use of forced labour.

(5) The Union remains deeply concerned about serious human rights violations and abuses in various parts of the world, such as torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings, committed by the Wagner Group, a Russia-based unincorporated private military entity, in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan and Mozambique.

(6) Bearing in mind the international dimension and the gravity of the Wagner Group’s activities, as well as its destabilising impact in those countries, the Union considers that the Wagner Group’s actions undermine the objectives of the common foreign and security policy as set out in Article 21 TEU, in particular the objective to consolidate and support democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the principles of international law in accordance with point (b) of Article 21(2) TEU.

(7) In this context, three persons and one entity should be included in the list of natural persons, legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2020/1998.

(8) Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 is amended as set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 13 December 2021.

For the Council

The President

J. BORRELL FONTELLES

OJ L 410 I, 7.12.2020, p. 1.

Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/372 of 2 March 2021 amending Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses (OJ L 71 I, 2.3.2021, p. 6).

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/371 of 2 March 2021 implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses (OJ L 71 I, 2.3.2021, p. 1).

Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/481 of 22 March 2021 amending Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses (OJ L 99 I, 22.3.2021, p. 25).

Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/478 of 22 March 2021 implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses (OJ L 99 I, 22.3.2021, p. 1).

ANNEX

The following entries are added to the list of natural persons set out in section A (‘Natural persons’) in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2020/1998:


	Names (Transliteration into Latin script)	Names	Identifying information	Reasons for listing	Date of listing
‘16.	Dimitriy (Dimitry, Dmitri, Dmitry) Valerievich UTKIN	Дмитрий Валерьевич Уткин (Russian spelling)	Position(s): Founder and commander of the Wagner Group Rank: Lieutenant colonel (reserve) Callsign: Vagner, Wagner Wagner Group ID: M-0209 DOB: 1.6.1970 or 11.6.1970 POB: Asbest, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian SFSR (now Russian Federation) Nationality: Russian Address: Pskov, Russian Federation Gender: male	Dimitriy Utkin, a former Russian military intelligence (GRU) officer, is the founder of the Wagner Group and responsible for coordinating and planning operations for the deployment of Wagner Group mercenaries across various countries. In his commanding position within the Wagner Group, he is responsible for serious human rights abuses committed by the group, which include torture and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings. This includes the torturing to death of a Syrian deserter by four members of the Wagner Group in June 2017 in the governorate of Homs, Syria. According to a former member of the Wagner Group, Dimitriy Utkin personally ordered the torturing to death of the deserter as well as the filming of the act.	13.12.2021
17.	Stanislav Evgenievitch DYCHKO	Станислав Евгеньевич Дычко (Russian spelling)	Position(s): Mercenary of the Wagner Group DOB: 1990 Nationality: Russian Gender: male	Stanislav Dychko, a former employee of the Stavropol police, is a mercenary of the Wagner Group. Alongside three other mercenaries of the Wagner Group, he took part in the torturing to death of a Syrian deserter in June 2017 in the governorate of Homs, Syria. He is therefore responsible for serious human rights abuses in Syria.	13.12.2021
18.	Valery (Valeriy) Nikolaevich ZAKHAROV	Валерий Николаевич Захаров (Russian spelling)	Position(s): Security counsellor to the President of the Central African Republic (CAR) Wagner Group ID: M-5658 DOB: 12.1.1970 POB: Leningrad, Russian SFSR (now Russian Federation) Nationality: Russian Gender: male	Valery Zakharov, a former member of the Russian state security (FSB), is the security counsellor to the President of the Central African Republic (CAR). He is a key figure in the Wagner Group’s command structure and keeps close links with the Russian authorities. Given his influential position in CAR and his leading role in the Wagner group, he is responsible for serious human rights abuses committed by the Wagner Group in CAR, which include extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings. This includes the murder of three Russian journalists in 2018, the security of whom was under the responsibility of Valery Zakharov.	13.12.2021’

The following entry is added to the list of legal persons, entities and bodies set out in section B (‘Legal persons, entities and bodies’) in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2020/1998:


	Names (Transliteration into Latin script)	Names	Identifying information	Reasons for listing	Date of listing
‘5.	Wagner Group a.k.a. Vagner Group	Группа Вагнера (Russian spelling)		The Wagner Group is a Russia-based unincorporated private military entity, which was established in 2014 as a successor organisation of the Slavonic Corps. It is led by Dimitriy Utkin and financed by Yevgeny Prigozhin. Through the setting-up of local entities, and with the support of local governments, the Wagner Group finances and conducts its operations. The Wagner Group is responsible for serious human rights abuses in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan and Mozambique, which include torture and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings.	13.12.2021’

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