The Council of the European Union has prolonged EU sanctions against ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and 11 allies for one year.
"The Council extended until March 6, 2020 the asset freezes directed against 12 persons identified as responsible for the misappropriation of Ukrainian state funds or for the abuse of office causing a loss to Ukrainian public funds," the Council said on its website.
This restrictive measures regime has been in place since March 5, 2014, and has been extended on a yearly basis since then.
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The restrictive measures against one person were not extended. "This decision is based on the annual review of the measures," the Council said.
According to unofficial reports, this is Andriy Klyuyev, who headed Yanukovych's administration.
The legal acts will be published in the Official Journal on March 5, 2019.
UNIAN memo. The EU on March 6, 2014, froze assets of former Ukrainian officials in office during Yanukovych's presidency for misuse of public funds and human rights violations. On the sanction list are Viktor Yanukovych, his son Oleksandr Yanukovych, ex-prime minister Mykola Azarov, former interior minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, former prosecutor general Viktor Pshonka and his son Artem Pshonka. Subject to the EU sanctions are also former deputy interior minister Viktor Ratushniak, former first vice prime minister Serhiy Arbuzov, former tax minister Oleksandr Klymenko, former energy minister Eduard Stavytskiy, former education minister Dmytro Tabachnyk, and energy tycoon Serhiy Kurchenko.
Former justice minister Olena Lukash and Andriy Klyuyev's brother, former MP Serhiy Klyuyev, were deleted from the sanctions list a year ago.
