EU sanctions 2 Russian officials over ‘rights violations’ in Crimea detention centers

BRUSSELS

The EU on Friday announced imposing sanctions on two Russian officials over “systematic human rights violations” in detention centers in Crimea.

In a statement, the European Council said that under the leadership of Vadim Bulgakov and Aleksei Pikin, head and deputy head of the Russian Federal Penal Enforcement Service in Crimea and Sevastopol, “widespread and systematic human rights violations in Crimean detention centres have been documented by the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights."

The two officials are now subject to an EU travel ban and asset freeze.

"The EU does not recognise and continues to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation as a violation of international law," it added.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.