The trial against two German citizens over a violation of the EU arms embargo against Russia began in Hamburg's Hanseatic Higher Regional Court court on Monday, the NDR broadcaster reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th December, 2020) The trial against two German citizens over a violation of the EU arms embargo against Russia began in Hamburg's Hanseatic Higher Regional Court court on Monday, the NDR broadcaster reported.
According to the German broadcaster, the two Germans, aged 41 and 40, are accused of violating the law regulating foreign economic relations.
One of the defendants is Alexander S., who was detained in Augsburg on February 11. The man is accused of seven cases of violations of the law regulating foreign economic relations. It is assumed that he acted for commercial purposes and could have cooperated with the intelligence services of a foreign state. Another defendant is accused of providing consulting services to Alexander S. worth 270,000 Euros ($327,000).
The German Prosecutor-General's Office previously said that Alexander S. was a manager of a company that supplied engineering tools to buyers from Russia operating in the military sphere. Prosecutors believe that the defendant was carrying out shipments through dummy buyers, and also provided false information about the purpose of the equipment in order to obtain an export permit. At least seven export deliveries were conducted between 2016-2018, with a total value of around 8 million euros.
According to prosecutors, all the supplied equipment was suitable for use in the military sphere and was included in the list of dual-use goods in accordance with the EU Council regulation. The exports of goods to Russia that could be partially used for military purposes or intended for a specific user in the military sphere are prohibited by the European arms embargo against Russia.
Russia's economic and political relations with the West, including Germany, significantly deteriorated in 2014 over the crisis in Ukraine and Crimea's decision to rejoin Russia. The West has accused Moscow of meddling in Ukrainian internal affairs and imposed sanctions, including an arms embargo, on the country, while Russia has denied the accusations and introduced a food embargo on the states that targeted it with restrictive measures.
