Trade Sanctions – Page 4 – European Sanctions Enforcement

February 25, 2026February 25, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – in absentia trial of shadow tanker’s captain to start on Monday

Further to our earlier post on the French seizure of the “shadow fleet” tanker “Boracay” off western France in September 2025, it is now being reported that the trial of the captain is due to commence on Monday.

The trial is taking place in absentia, with the captain Chen Zhangjie – a Chinese national – not attending the trial in the town of Brest.

The charges allege that the Captain refused to comply with a lawful order from the French Navy to allow the inspection of the vessel.

Mr Zhangjie is represented in the trial, and it is being reported that the defence will include arguments that French law and French jurisdiction do not apply.

February 20, 2026February 20, 2026 by Mark Handley

Bulgaria – extradition of Russian national to face US sanctions charges

It is being reported that the Bulgarian authorities have approved the extradition of Sergey Ivin who was arrested at Sofia Airport in October 2025.

Extradition has been sought following an indictment that he was involved in the sale of sanctioned metallurgical products between 2017 and 2021 valued at US$350 million.

Mr Ivin has denied the charges.

The same report notes that a second extradition request in the same case, for Oleg Olshansky, is still being considered in the Bulgarian courts.

February 20, 2026February 20, 2026 by Mark Handley

Belgium – prosecution for alleged sanctioned exports to Russian military

Following a raid conducted in June 2025, the Belgian authorities have detained Russian national Viktor Labin pending investigation of alleged breaches of Russian sanctions.

It is now being reported that trial in the prosecution is scheduled to begin on 26 February 2026.

It is alleged that he was responsible for exporting machinery and devices for use by the Russian military or in manufacturing.

February 18, 2026February 18, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – man arrested for possible extradition to face US sanctions charges

It is being reported that Sweden’s Security Service, Säpo, conducted an operation in December involving raiding premises in Stockholm and arresting a Russian national for potential extradition to the US to face charges of breaching the US sanctions against Russia.

The Stockholm District Court has ordered the man’s detention pending extradition proceedings.

The alleged conduct is said to have taken place in 2022 and 2023 but no further details are available.

February 17, 2026February 17, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – company that owns the seized ‘Grinch’ tanker fined “millions”

The company that owns the oil tanker ‘Grinch’ has, according to a press release by the Prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône pleaded guilty in a Marseilles court.

It is being reported that the company was fined several million euros.

The vessel has been allowed to leave French waters with its cargo intact.

The offence alleged was failing to provide proof of the ship’s flag status under article L 5233-2 of the French Transport Code.

February 13, 2026February 13, 2026 by Mark Handley

Latvia – prosecution for providing IT services to Russian company

The State Security Service of Latvia has announced the prosecution of an individual for providing programming services to a Russian company.

This is the fifth recent prosecution in Latvia either in relation to the provision of prohibited services under Regulation 833/2014, or the provision of services to a designated person with the services treated as an “economic resource” that breaches the imposed asset freeze (see October 2025, October 2025, December 2025, and December 2025).

The individual is also being prosecuted on the basis that his salary was paid into Alfa-Bank, which is a designated person under the EU’s sanctions, and that this constitute making funds available to that designated person.

February 11, 2026February 11, 2026 by Mark Handley

Latvia – 3 year sentence for attempted ammunition export to Russia

Further to our earlier post, it is being reported that the Estonian-Russian national prosecuted for attempting to export 10,000 rounds of ammunition to Russia hidden in a truck cab has been convicted.

He has been sentenced to 3 years in jail.

The verdict remains subject to appeal.

February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by Mark Handley

Germany – state parliamentarian arrested for suspected Belarus export

Further to our earlier post from 2024, the Leipzig Public Prosecutor’s office has arrested Jörg Dornau, who is a member of state parliament, on suspicion of breaching the EU’s sanctions against Belarus.

The previous obstacle to his prosecution, parliamentary immunity, has been lifted.

It is alleged that he falsified a customs declaration in 2022 indicating Kazakhstan was the destination of the export of a telehandler vehicle, when the real destination was a company in Belarus.

February 2, 2026February 2, 2026 by Mark Handley

Germany – raids and five arrested as part of alleged Russian procurement network

Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office has issued a press release detailing that the German authorities this morning have arrested 5 individuals as part of raids on premises in Lübeck, Frankfurt am Main, and Nuremberg.

Five of the suspects are named as Artem I, Boris M, Eugen R, Nikita S and Daniel A. Five suspects remain wanted.

The allegation is that a German company based in Lübeck has made 16,000 deliveries to 24 different Russian defence companies with the goods valued as at least €30 million. The category of goods is not specified.

February 2, 2026February 2, 2026 by Mark Handley

Finland – two individuals convicted of dual-use exports to Russia

Further to our earlier posts (here and here and here), the remaining two defendants prosecuted for exporting dual-use goods to Russia have been convicted in Finland.

It is being reported that the two Russian nationals, aged 27 and 20, were given suspended jail sentences of one year and four months respectively.

The total value of the goods was around €140,000 and included range finders, laptops, processors and other electronic equipment.