Are you working with sanctioned Ukrainian and Russian officials?

Thursday 20 March 2014

Jersey’s Chief Minister is asking financial institutions to freeze any assets belonging to more than 20 Ukrainian and Russian officials - including the pro-Russia Crimean Prime Minister and the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy - as the Island imposes sanctions against them.

Jersey has given effect to sanctions against 21 Ukrainian and Russian officials, freezing their assets and imposing travel bans, as of yesterday. The officials have been identified by the European Union as responsible for actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine as the conflict with Russia escalates.

The 21 officials are listed at www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-sanctions-ukraine-sovereignty-and-territorial-integrity

Any financial organisation holding accounts, funds or economic resources for the people listed are asked to freeze them and report back to the Chief Minister’s Department.

The sanctions follow the disputed referendum at the weekend which saw 97% of Crimeans voting to secede from Ukraine.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has since signed a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia. But both the EU and US support the Ukrainian government’s view that the referendum was illegal and the results shouldn’t be recognised.

The Prime Minister of Crimea Sergey Valeryevich Askyonov is listed as a serious threat to Ukriane – he has long campaigned for the peninsula to split from Ukraine and become part of Russia whilst Deniz Valentinovich Berezovskiy, Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, is facing charges of treason for his support of the pro-Russian leader.

The first blood of the conflict was shed on Tuesday when a Ukrainian officer and local self-defence brigade were shot dead in Crimea.