U.S. Issues Warrant For Seizure Of Russian Energy Giant Rosneft's Aircraft
March 09, 2023
By Current Time
A federal court in New York has issued an arrest warrant for a $25 million Boeing 737 aircraft owned by the Russian company Rosneft. This was reported on the website of the department.
Rosneft is accused of violating the sanctions regime imposed by the United States after the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The plane, according to investigators, left and returned to Russia at least seven times after the imposition of sanctions.
The investigation believes that this violates the ban on aircraft manufactured in the United States from flying to Russia without special licenses approved by the US authorities.
"By violating export controls, Rosneft turned its aircraft into a smuggling item," said US Justice Department spokesman Andrew Adams.
Prosecutor Brion Peace said the decision demonstrates that Russian companies and oligarchs will have to pay for the flagrant violation of sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia for its unjust war against the people of Ukraine.
The last time a Rosneft Boeing flew to the United States was in 2014. Now he can be detained in many countries at the request of the United States.
In early May 2022, the Fiji authorities, at the request of the United States, arrested the Amadea yacht, which is associated with Russian billionaire and senator Suleiman Kerimov. Later it was transferred to the USA.
The company, which owns the yacht according to the documents, is challenging the arrest of the vessel in court. Lawyers argue that the United States does not have jurisdiction to seize the ship, at least until the court sorts out who actually owns Amadea. A company representative claims that the superyacht belongs to the former head of Rosneft, Eduard Khudainatov, who did not fall under the sanctions. Copyright © Mar 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 conncwsecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. http://www.rferl.org
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