It was reported today that the Paris Court has dropped charges against Nexa Technologies, and four of its management, in relation to the sales of surveillance equipment to Egypt.
We had earlier reported on the commencement of the investigation.
Norway – custodial sentence for breach of Iran sanctions
Further to our earlier post, a former university professor in Norway has been convicted of breaching Norway’s Iran sanctions.
The man has been sentenced to 8 months in jail.
The conviction relates to sharing technology without a licence with Iranians.
Netherlands – man arrested on suspicion of unlawful exports to Russia
The Dutch authorities have announced the arrest of a 55-year old on suspicion of exporting dual-use microchips to Russia in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
Searches were carried out at a number of premises.
The man is alleged to have falsified the end-user information for the exports.
Estonia – two arrested on suspicion of breaching Russian sanctions
The Estonian Internal Security Service has arrested two individuals, Elena Cherysheva and Mati-Dmitri Terestal, on suspicion of making “economic resources” available to a designated person.
The allegations relate to the sanctioned media outlet, Sputnik. The economic resources are reported to amount to €350,000 in value.
Latvia – fines of €3.1m for breaches of Russian sanctions
Following raids in Riga and Tallinn by the Latvian Security Police, in close cooperation with the Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS), it was reported today that two individuals have been fined by the Latvian courts for breaching the EU’s Russian sanctions.
The breaches involved making funds available, through contracts involving broadcasting, to a designated person. The individuals (Oleg Solodov and Margus Merima) were each fined €25,000, and a further €3 million was confiscated.
Norway – man charged with breaching Iran sanctions
It has been reported today that the Norwegian authorities have charged a German-Iranian national on suspicion of breaching UN sanctions (as implemented in Norway) against Iran.
The person is a professor at a technical university and is alleged to have invited four Iranian scientists to visit a laboratory in breach of Norway’s, and then permitted them access to technical data in breach of sanctions, export control laws, and data breach legislation.
Estonia and Latvia conduct joint raids into suspected sanctions breaches
The Latvian security service, the VDD, and the Estonian Internal Security Service, have conducted joint raids in the two countries as part of ongoing criminal investigations.
The raids were on the premises of companies in Riga and Tallinn owned or controlled by designated persons under the EU sanctions.
It is reported that one of the companies raided was Baltic Media Alliance.
Estonia – company owned by designated person required to close
The Estonian branch of Sputnik, controlled by Rossiya Segodnya which has a CEO under EU sanctions, has closed under threat of criminal prosecutions from the Estonian authorities. Staff members were told that continuing employment would amount to providing “economic resources” to a designated person in breach of EU sanctions.
Latvia – TV channels owned by designated person blocked from broadcasting
It has been reported today that the Latvian authorities have placed a block on the broadcasts of nine Russian television stations owned by a designated person under the EU’s sanctions.
The stations are owned by Yury Kovalchuk.
UK – OFSI’s third monetary penalty
OFSI has today imposed a fine of £146,341 against Telia Carrier UK Limited for breaches of the EU’s Syrian sanctions.
The breaches arose out of Telia facilitating telephone calls for SyriaTel which is a designated person under the EU sanctions. The phone connections were treated as “economic resources” for the purposes of the sanctions.
The fine in this instance was reduced from £300,000 after Telia opted to seek a ministerial review of OFSI’s penalty.