EU imposes sanctions against eight Russians, two Syrian businessmen

The European Union has blacklisted eight Russian citizens and two Syrian citizens, as well as a Syrian steel company for "proliferation of chemical weapons".

All Russian citizens were named "FSB agents associated with the poisoning of Russian opposition figure, anti-corruption activist, blogger Aleksei Navalny", TASS reports citing the European Council’s decision published in the Official Journal of the European Union on November 14.

“The EU has blacklisted 10 individuals and one entity for chemical weapons proliferation because there is still such a threat,” the document says.

The appendix includes eight Russian citizens, as well as two Syrian businessmen Chadi and Nazier Houranieh, co-owners of the metallurgical company MHD Nazier Houranieh & Sons Co., which the EU has called "responsible for providing raw materials for chemical weapons production in Syria". The same company has been blacklisted as a legal entity.

The EU Chemical Weapons Blacklist is a separate EU sanctions mechanism that was originally created in 2018 following accusations against the Syrian government and army of using chemical weapons.

The EU also used it to impose restrictions on individuals in 2020 whom Brussels accused of being involved in an alleged attempt on the life of blogger Navalny.

In total, there are 25 individuals and three legal entities on this EU blacklist. European businesses are prohibited from maintaining any relations with companies, while individuals are prohibited from entering the EU countries, their bank accounts in EU countries are subject to freezing if they are found there.