LegalizeCouncil Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/417 of 29 January 2024 implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses
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| Image omitted; see official source | Official Journal of the European Union | EN Series L |
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| 2024/417 | 29.1.2024 |
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 the Declaration by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, 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 human rights is a fundamental value of the Union and its common foreign and security policy.
- (3) The Union is concerned about the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia. Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine has amplified internal repression in Russia, drastically limiting the freedom of opinion and expression and media freedom and introducing war censorship.
- (4) The Union continues to strongly condemn the severe expansion of restrictive legislation and systematic repression against civil society and human rights defenders, as well as the unabated crackdown on independent media, individual journalists, political opposition members and other critical voices.
- (5) The Union strongly condemns the politically motivated ruling by a Moscow court to sentence the opposition politician, democracy activist and outspoken Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison.
- (6) The Union calls on Russia to immediately and unconditionally release all those imprisoned for politically motivated charges.
- (7) In this context, four persons and one entity should be included in the list of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies subject to restrictive measures in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2020/1998.
- (8) 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, 29 January 2024.
For the Council
The President
H. LAHBIB
ANNEX
Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 is amended as follows:
- (1) the following entries are added to the list of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies under heading ‘A. Natural persons’:
| Names (Transliteration into Latin script) | Names | Identifying information | Reasons for listing | Date of listing | |
| ‘69. | Ekaterina Mikhailovna MIZULINA | Екатерина Михайловна МИЗУЛИНА (Russian spelling) | Position(s): Chairwoman of the Safe Internet League; Member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation DOB: 1.9.1984 POB: Yaroslavl, Russian SFSR (now Russian Federation) Nationality: Russian Gender: female Associated individuals: Elena Borisovna Mizulina; Konstantin Valerevich Malofeev | Ekaterina Mizulina is a Russian public figure and the Chairwoman of the Safe Internet League. In this position, she is enforcing censorship practices against Internet content creators and artists in favour of the Russian government and its policies. As the Chairwoman of the Safe Internet League, Ekaterina Mizulina is initiating official complaints to the Russian law enforcement agencies against Internet content creators, i.e. bloggers, as well as musicians, celebrities and influencers. As a result, Ekaterina Mizulina is forcing Russian Internet content creators and artists either to delete anti-government content or to create content in favour of the Russian government and its policies. Therefore, Ekaterina Mizulina is responsible for serious and systematic abuses of freedom of opinion and expression, which are also of serious concern with regard to the objectives of the common foreign and security policy as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union. | 29.1.2024 |
| 70. | Valentina Evgenievna LEVASHOVA a.k.a. Valentina Evgen’yevna LEVASHOVA | Валентина Евгеньевна ЛЕВАШОВА a.k.a. Валентина Євгенiївна ЛЄВАШОВА (Russian spelling) | Position(s): Judge, Basmanniy District Court, Moscow DOB: 14.10.1978 Nationality: Russian Gender: female Address: Preobrazhenskiy Val St., 24 building 1, Flat 69, Moscow, Russia, 107061 | Valentina Levashova is a judge at the Basmanniy District Court of Moscow. In this capacity she is involved in serious and systematic violations of human rights against the leaders of the Russian opposition. She is a representative of the judiciary who made biased decisions in politically motivated cases against persons who opposed the military invasion of Ukraine, or decisions that justified military and other actions of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, including in the case against Vladimir Kara-Murza. Kara-Murza is a prominent opposition activist in Russia. Politically motivated court proceedings based on false allegations started against him in 2022 after he accused the Kremlin of committing war crimes in Ukraine and publicly condemned Russian aggression. In April 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years in a high-security prison/labour camp. The court proceedings against him targeted his activism and served as a show trial in Russia to suppress voices critical of the ruling regime in voicing opposition to the war of aggression against Ukraine. The Russian regime is using the judiciary of the country as a widespread tool in numerous serious human rights violations. The justice system is not independent and is used to systematically and severely violate the human rights of individuals opposed to the ruling regime, by violating their freedom of opinion and expression. Therefore, she is responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions. | 29.1.2024 |
| 71. | Oleg Viktorovich ALYPOV | Олег Викторович АЛЫПОВ Олег Вiкторович АЛИПОВ (Russian spelling) | Position(s): Golovinsky Interdistrict Prosecutor of Moscow DOB: 7.3.1981 Nationality: Russian Gender: male | Oleg Alypov is the Golovinsky Interdistrict Prosecutor of Moscow. In his capacity as a Prosecutor, he is involved in serious and systematic violations of human rights against the leaders of the Russian opposition, including in the case of Vladimir Kara-Murza. Kara-Murza is a prominent opposition activist in Russia. Politically motivated court proceedings based on false allegations started against him in 2022 after he accused the Kremlin of committing war crimes in Ukraine and publicly condemned Russian aggression. In April 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years in a high-security prison/labour camp. The court proceedings against him targeted his activism and served as a show trial in Russia to suppress voices critical of the ruling regime in voicing opposition to the war of aggression against Ukraine. The Russian regime is using the judiciary of the country as a widespread tool in numerous serious human rights violations. The justice system is not independent and is used to systematically and severely violate the human rights of individuals opposed to the ruling regime, by violating their freedom of opinion and expression. Therefore, he is responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions. | 29.1.2024 |
| 72. | Ludmila Mikhailovna SMOLKINA | Людмила Михайловна СМОЛКИНA Людмила Михайлiвна СМОЛКIНА (Russian spelling) | Position(s): Judge, Moscow City Court DOB: 6.8.1961 Nationality: Russian Gender: female Address: 45 Angarskaya St., building 1, 51, Moscow, Russia, 125412 | Ludmila Smolkina is a Judge at the Moscow City Court. In this capacity, she is involved in serious and systematic violations of human rights against the leaders of the Russian opposition, including in the case of Vladimir Kara-Murza. The Russian authorities have used criminal charges to arrest, prosecute and convict human rights defenders, journalists and political opponents voicing their criticism of the invasion of Ukraine. Kara-Murza is a prominent opposition activist in Russia. Politically motivated court proceedings based on false allegations started against him in 2022 after he accused the Kremlin of committing war crimes in Ukraine and publicly condemned Russian aggression. In April 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years in a high-security prison/labour camp. The court proceedings against him targeted his activism and served as a show trial in Russia to suppress voices critical of the ruling regime in voicing opposition to the war of aggression against Ukraine. The Russian regime is using the judiciary of the country as a widespread tool in numerous serious human rights violations. The justice system is not independent and is used to systematically and severely violate the human rights of individuals opposed to the ruling regime, by violating their freedom of opinion and expression. Therefore, she is responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions. | 29.1.2024’ |
- (2) the following entry is added to the list of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies under heading ‘B. Legal persons, entities or bodies’:
| Names (Transliteration into Latin script) | Names | Identifying information | Reasons for listing | Date of listing | |
| ‘21. | Safe Internet League | Лига безопасного интернета (Russian spelling) | Address: Usovo, flat 100, Moscow Oblast, Russia, 143084 Telephone: +7 8 800 700-56-76 Email: info@ligainternet.ru Website: https://ligainternet.ru Associated individuals: Ekaterina Mikhailovna Mizulina; Konstantin Valerevich Malofeev | Safe Internet League is a Russian para-governmental organisation co-founded by the owner of the Tsargrad TV channel Konstantin Malofeev, with support from the Russian government. Safe Internet League allows the Russian government to reinforce censorship practices by silencing Internet content creators and artists, who make content not consistent with the official line of the Russian government. Safe Internet League makes official complaints to the Russian law enforcement agencies against Russian Internet content creators, i.e. bloggers, as well as musicians, celebrities and influencers. Using the threat of imposing punitive or economic measures, Safe Internet League is trying to make Internet content creators and artists either to delete anti-government content or to create content in favour of the Russian government and praising its policies. Therefore, Safe Internet League is responsible for serious and systematic abuses of freedom of opinion and expression, which are also of serious concern with regards to the objectives of the common foreign and security policy as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union. | 29.1.2024’ |
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/417/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)
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