Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2232 of 14 November 2022 amending Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons
Date: 2022-11-14
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, chemical weapon, economic sanctions, international sanctions, legal person, natural person, non-proliferation of arms








LI2022293EN.01003201.xml










14.11.2022   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


LI 293/32








            COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2022/2232
of 14 November 2022
         
amending Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:







(1)


On 15 October 2018, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 (1) concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons.












(2)


On 20 August 2020, Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader in Russia, was poisoned with a toxic military-grade nerve agent of the Novichok group, as confirmed by specialised laboratories in Germany, France and Sweden, as well as by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). This poisoning constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (the ‘Chemical Weapons Convention’) and a serious breach of international law. The Union reiterates its strong concerns that the Russian Federation has not reacted to international calls for a thorough and transparent investigation into the assassination attempt against Alexei Navalny.












(3)


The Union has strongly condemned the use of chemical weapons by Syria and its failure to respect its international obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, as substantiated through comprehensive and thorough investigations carried out by the United Nations and the OPCW. The Union has raised these concerns in various fora and urges Syria to return to full compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.












(4)


In that context, and in view of the continued threat posed by the proliferation and use of chemical weapons, ten persons and one entity should be included in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544.












(5)


The Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 is amended as set out in the Annex to this Decision.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Brussels, 14 November 2022.


For the Council


The President

J. BORRELL FONTELLES
            





(1)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 of 15 October 2018 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons (OJ L 259, 16.10.2018, p. 25).




ANNEX
The following persons and entity are added under the heading ‘List of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies referred to in Articles 2 and 3’ in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544:
A.   NATURAL PERSONS










 


Name


Identifying information


Grounds for designation


Date of listing




‘16.


Alexey Alexandrovich ALEXANDROV
(Алексей Александрович АЛЕКСАНДРОВ)
a.k.a. Alexey Andreevich FROLOV
(Алексей Андреевич ФРОЛОВ)


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 16.6.1981 or 16.6.1980;
Nationality: Russian


Alexey Alexandrov is an agent of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) working as a Criminalistics Institute operative.
In that capacity, he was directly involved in the preparations for and the execution of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Novichok-type nerve agent in Tomsk on 20 August 2020, which constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Therefore, Alexey Alexandrov was involved in preparations for the use of chemical weapons as well as in the use of chemical weapons.


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17.


Vladimir Alexandrovich PANYAEV
(Владимир Александрович ПАНЯЕВ)
a.k.a. Vladimir ALEXEEV
(Владимир АЛЕКСЕЕВ)
a.k.a. Vladimir ALEXEYEV
(Владимир АЛЕКСЕЕВ)


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 25.11.1980;
Place of birth: Serdobsk, Russian Federation;
Nationality: Russian


Vladimir Panyaev is an agent of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) working as a Criminalistics Institute operative.
In that capacity, he was directly involved in the preparations for and the execution of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Novichok-type nerve agent in Tomsk on 20 August 2020, which constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Therefore, Vladimir Panyaev was involved in preparations for the use of chemical weapons as well as in the use of chemical weapons.


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18.


Ivan Vladimirovich OSIPOV
(Иван Владимирович ОСИПОВ)
a.k.a. Ivan Vasilyevich SPIRIDONOV
(Иван Васильевич СПИРИДОНОВ)


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 21.8.1976 or 21.8.1975;
Nationality: Russian


Ivan Osipov is an agent of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) working as a Criminalistics Institute operative.
In that capacity, he was directly involved in the preparations for and the execution of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Novichok-type nerve agent in Tomsk on 20 August 2020, which constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Therefore, Ivan Osipov was involved in preparations for the use of chemical weapons as well as in the use of chemical weapons.


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19.


Artur Aleksandrovich ZHIROV
(Артур Александрович ЖИРОВ)


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 6.7.1961;
Nationality: Russian


Artur Zhirov is a chemical weapons expert and Director of SC Signal, a research institute that has been linked to Russia’s chemical weapons program.
As Director of SC Signal, Artur Zhirov provided technical support to operations against Yulia Navalnaya and Alexei Navalny that took place in Kaliningrad on 6 July 2020 and to the planning of the subsequent poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Novichok-type nerve agent in Tomsk on 20 August 2020, which constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Therefore, Artur Zhirov was engaged in preparations for the use of chemical weapons and he provided technical and material support for using chemical weapons.


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20.


Kirill Yurievich VASILIEV
(Кирилл Юрьевич ВАСИЛЬЕВ)
a.k.a. Kirill VASILYEV
(Кирилл ВАСИЛЬЕВ)


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 22.2.1973;
Nationality: Russian;
Tax-ID No.: 773721109701 (Russia)


General Kirill Vasiliev is the Director of the Criminalistics Institute of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), which conducted operations to closely monitor the activities of Alexei Navalny over a long period of time, including during his journey to Tomsk where he was poisoned with a Novichok-type nerve on 20 August 2020. That poisoning constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Kirill Vasiliev, in his capacity as Director of the Criminalistics Institute of the FSB, provided the operational framework and direction to conduct the surveillance and the assassination attempt against Alexei Navalny.
Therefore, he was involved in preparations for the use of chemical weapons, he is responsible for the use of chemical weapons and he provided technical and material support for using chemical weapons.


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21.


Konstantin Borisovich KUDRYAVTSEV
(Константин Борисович КУДРЯВЦЕВ)
a.k.a. Konstantin Yevgenievich SOKOLOV
(Константин Евгеньевич СОКОЛОВ)


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 28.4.1980 or 28.4.1981;
Nationality: Russian


Konstantin Kudryavtsev is a chemical weapons expert and an agent of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) working as a Criminalistics Institute operative.
In that capacity, he was directly involved in the preparations for and the clean-up operations of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Novichok-type nerve agent in Tomsk on 20 August 2020, which constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Furthermore, he admitted to his involvement in at least one other poisoning attempt against Navalny in 2017.
Therefore, Konstantin Kudryavtsev was involved in preparations for the use of chemical weapons as well as in the use of chemical weapons.


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22.


Stanislav Valentinovich MAKSHAKOV
(Станислав Валентинович МАКШАКОВ)


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 1966;
Nationality: Russian


Stanislav Makshakov is a military scientist and Deputy Director of the Criminalistics Institute of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), which conducted operations to closely monitor the activities of Alexei Navalny over a long period of time. In his capacity as Deputy Director of the Criminalistics Institute, Stanislav Makshakov was the commander of the team of operatives involved in the preparations and execution of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Novichok-type nerve in Tomsk on 20 August 2020, which constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Therefore, Stanislav Makshakov was involved in preparations for the use of chemical weapons, he is responsible for the use of chemical weapons and he provided technical and material support for using chemical weapons.


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23.


Vladimir Mikhaylovich BOGDANOV
(Владимир Михайлович БОГДАНОВ)


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 17.7.1958;
Place of birth: Moscow, Russian Federation;
Nationality: Russian


Vladimir Bogdanov is the Head of Special Technology Centre of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), which is the parent entity of the Criminalistics Institute. In that capacity, Vladimir Bogdanov oversees and controls the activities of those entities.
The FSB conducted operations to closely monitor the activities of Alexei Navalny over a long period of time, including during his journey to Tomsk where Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok-type nerve on 20 August 2020. That poisoning constitutes a use of chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Vladimir Bogdanov, in his capacity as the Head of Special Technology Centre of the FSB, provided the operational framework and direction to conduct the surveillance and the assassination attempt against Alaxey Navalny.
Therefore, he was involved in preparations for the use of chemical weapons, he is responsible for the use of chemical weapons and he provided technical and material support for using chemical weapons.


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24.


Chadi HOURANIEH


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 29.5.1979;
Place of birth: Damascus, Syria;
Nationality: Canadian


Chadi Houranieh is the co-owner of MHD Nazier Houranieh & Sons Co company, which operates in the metals industry and supplies the Syrian Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) with materials used in the manufacture of chemical weapons delivery systems.
Therefore, Chadi Houranieh is responsible for providing material support for manufacturing chemical weapons and is engaged in preparations for the use of chemical weapons and thus contributes to the continued threat posed by the proliferation and use of chemical weapons.


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25.


Mohammad Nazier HOURANIEH


Gender: male;
Date of birth: 6.5.1976;
Place of birth: Damascus, Syria;
Nationality: Canadian


Mohammad Nazier Houranieh is the co-owner of MHD Nazier Houranieh & Sons Co company, which operates in the metals industry and supplies the Syrian Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) with materials used in the manufacture of chemical weapons delivery systems.
Therefore, Mohammad Nazier Houranieh is responsible for providing material support for manufacturing chemical weapons and is engaged in preparations for the use of chemical weapons and thus contributes to the continued threat posed by the proliferation and use of chemical weapons.


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B.   LEGAL PERSONS, ENTITIES AND BODIES










 


Name


Identifying information


Grounds for designation


Date of listing




‘3.


MHD Nazier Houranieh & Sons Co


Address: Zoukak Al Jin Abed Al Rahman Bn Al Kassem Street. Damascus, Syria;
Phone: (+963) 11-2210758,
(+963) 11-2224349;
Fax: (+963) 11-2235892;
Web: https://houranieh.com/
Email: info@houranieh.com


MHD Nazier Houranieh & Sons Co is a company operating in the metals industry and supplies the Syrian Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) with materials used in the manufacture of chemical weapons delivery systems.
Therefore, MHD Nazier Houranieh & Sons Co provides material support for manufacturing chemical weapons and is engaged in preparations for the use of chemical weapons and thus contributes to the continued threat posed by the proliferation and use of chemical weapons.


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