Law enforcement authorities in London, United Kingdom, have arrested the former Russian governor of occupied Sevastopol, Dmitry Ovsyannikov, on suspicion of violating sanctions legislation, according to The Insider.
The individual was apprehended at his London home and is presently held in one of the city’s prisons. This is an uncommon occurrence, as individuals detained for non-violent offenses are typically granted bail, as reported by the Russian branch of the BBC. The court proceedings are set for February 20.
Ovsyannikov led the Russian-occupied Sevastopol from 2017 to 2019. He was previously the deputy minister of industry and trade in Russia. In 2020, he was removed from office and dismissed from the government due to a scandal involving inappropriate behavior at the Izhevsk airport.
Ovsyannikov faces allegations of skirting sanctions by opening an account in a London bank, executing four payments amounting to £65,000, and holding £77,500 in cash, as reported by journalists.
In late 2020, the UK imposed sanctions on the Russian individual, freezing his assets. Although the EU removed Ovsyannikov from the sanctions list last year, stating that he no longer holds the sanctioned positions, London, having exited the EU in 2020, has not lifted its restrictions on the Russian individual.
