Dutch court sentences Russian man to prison for EU sanctions breach

A Dutch court has sentenced a Russian citizen to 18 months in prison and fined his company 200,000 euros ($211,000) for breaching trade sanctions against Russia which the European Union imposed over the war in Ukraine.
The 56-year-old man, named Dmitri K by prosecutors, was tried in absentia and is believed to have fled to Russia after being released from custody pending his trial last year.
In a rare ruling, the court said the man had been trading in microchips and other electronic goods for 6 years and had been fully aware of the sanctions against Russia.
The man was in charge of a company that channelled “dual-use” goods – which can serve both civilian and military purposes – via foreign countries to firms in Russia to bypass EU restrictions, it said.