COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2021/2160

7.12.2021 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | L 436/40 ---|---|---|--- * * * COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2021/2160 of 6 December 2021 amending Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses 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 7 December 2020, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 (1). ---|--- (2) | The measures set out in Articles 2 and 3 of Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 apply as regards the natural and legal persons, entities and bodies listed in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 until 8 December 2021. ---|--- (3) | On the basis of a review of the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999, the measures set out in Articles 2 and 3 of that Decision as regards the natural and legal persons, entities and bodies listed in that Annex should be extended until 8 December 2022, except as regards one deceased person, whose entry should be removed from that Annex. The entries concerning seven persons included in that Annex should be updated. ---|--- (4) | Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 should therefore be amended accordingly, ---|--- HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 is amended as follows: (1) | Article 10 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 10 This Decision shall apply until 8 December 2023 and shall be kept under constant review. The measures set out in Articles 2 and 3 shall apply as regards the natural and legal persons, entities and bodies listed in the Annex until 8 December 2022.’; ---|--- (2) | the Annex is amended as set out in the Annex to this Decision. ---|--- Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Done at Brussels, 6 December 2021. For the Council The President J. CIGLER KRALJ * * * (1) Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 of 7 December 2020 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses (OJ L 410I, 7.12.2020, p. 13). * * * ANNEX In the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999, the list of natural persons set out in section A (‘Natural persons’) is amended as follows: (1) | entry 11 (concerning Mohammed Khalifa AL-KANI (a.k.a. Mohamed Khalifa Abderrahim Shaqaqi AL-KANI, Mohammed AL-KANI, Muhammad Omar AL-KANI)) is deleted; ---|--- (2) | the entries for the following seven natural persons are replaced by the following: | | Names (Transliteration into Latin script) | Names | Identifying information | Reasons for listing | Date of listing ---|---|---|---|---|--- ‘4. | Viktor Vasilievich (Vasilyevich) ZOLOTOV | Виктор Васильевич ЗОЛОТОВ | Position(s): Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia) DOB: 27.1.1954 POB: Sasovo, Russian SFSR (now Russian Federation) Nationality: Russian Gender: male | Viktor Zolotov has been the Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia) since 5 April 2016 and therefore Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, as well as Commander of OMON – the Special Purpose Mobile Unit integrated in Rosgvardia. In that position, he oversees all activities of Rosgvardia and OMON troops. In his capacity as Director of Rosgvardia, he is responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions and systematic and widespread violations of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, in particular by violently repressing protests and demonstrations. | 2.3.2021 | | | | Rosgvardia was employed to quell the pro-Navalny protests of 23 January and 21 April 2021, and many OMON and National Guard officers were reported to have used brutality and violence against protesters. Dozens of journalists were targeted with aggression by the security forces, including Meduza’s correspondent Kristina Safronova, who was hit by an OMON officer, and Novaya Gazeta’s journalist Yelizaveta Kirpanova, who was hit on the head with a truncheon leaving her bleeding. During the 23 January 2021 protests, security forces arbitrarily detained more than 300 minors. | 5. | ZHU Hailun | 朱海仑 (Chinese spelling) | Position(s): Member of the 13th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (in session from 2018 to 2023) representing the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR); Member of the National People’s Congress Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Committee (since 19 March 2018) | Former Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and former Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the XUAR (2016 to 2019). Former Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the 13th People’s Congress of the XUAR, a regional legislative body (2019 to 5 February 2021 but still active until at least March 2021). Member of the 13th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (in session from 2018 to 2023) representing the XUAR. Member of the National People’s Congress Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Committee since 19 March 2018. | 22.3.2021 | | | DOB: January 1958 POB: Lianshui, Jiangsu (China) Nationality: Chinese Gender: male | As Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the XUAR (2016 to 2019), Zhu Hailun was responsible for maintaining internal security and law enforcement in the XUAR. As such, he held a key political position in charge of overseeing and implementing a large-scale surveillance, detention and indoctrination programme targeting Uyghurs and people from other Muslim ethnic minorities. Zhu Hailun has been described as the ‘architect’ of this programme. He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in China, in particular large-scale arbitrary detentions inflicted upon Uyghurs and people from other Muslim ethnic minorities. As Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the 13th People’s Congress of the XUAR (2019 to 5 February 2021), Zhu Hailun continued to exercise a decisive influence in the XUAR where the large-scale surveillance, detention and indoctrination programme targeting Uyghurs and people from other Muslim ethnic minorities continues. | 9. | JONG Kyong-thaek (a.k.a. CHO’NG Kyo’ng-t’aek) | 정경택 (Korean spelling) | Position(s): Minister of State Security of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) DOB: between 1.1.1961 and 31.12.1963 Nationality: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Gender: male | Jong Kyong-thaek is the Minister of State Security of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2017. The Ministry of State Security of the DPRK is one of the leading institutions in charge of implementing the repressive security policies of the DPRK, with a focus on identifying and suppressing political dissent, the inflow of ‘subversive’ information from abroad, and any other conduct considered a serious political threat to the political system and its leadership. As Head of the Ministry of State Security, Jong Kyong-thaek is responsible for serious human rights violations in the DPRK, in particular torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings, enforced disappearance of persons, and arbitrary arrests or detentions, as well as widespread forced labour and sexual violence against women. | 22.3.2021 10. | RI Yong Gil (a.k.a. RI Yong Gi, RI Yo’ng-kil, YI Yo’ng-kil) | 리영길 (Korean spelling) | Position(s): Minister of National Defence of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) DOB: 1955 Nationality: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Gender: male | Ri Yong Gil is the Minister of National Defence of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). He was the Minister of Social Security from January 2021 until June or July 2021. He was Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) between 2018 and January 2021. As Minister of National Defence, Ri Yong Gil is responsible for serious human rights violations in the DPRK, including by members of the Military Security Command and other KPA units. The Ministry of Social Security of the DPRK (formerly known as the Ministry of People’s Security or Ministry of Public Security) and the Military Security Command are leading institutions in charge of implementing the repressive security policies of the DPRK, including interrogation and punishment of people ‘illegally’ fleeing the DPRK. In particular, the Ministry of Social Security is in charge of running prison camps and short-term labour detention centres through its Correctional Bureau, where prisoners/detainees are subject to deliberate starvation and other inhuman treatment. | 22.3.2021 | | | | As former Head of the Ministry of Social Security, Ri Yong Gil is responsible for serious human rights violations in the DPRK, in particular torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings, enforced disappearance of persons, and arbitrary arrests or detentions, as well as widespread forced labour and sexual violence against women. As former Chief of the General Staff of the KPA, Ri Yong Gil is also responsible for the widespread serious human rights violations committed by the KPA. | 12. | Abderrahim AL-KANI (a.k.a. Abdul-Rahim AL-KANI, Abd-al-Rahim AL-KANI) | الرحيم الكاني عبد (Arabic spelling) | Position(s): member of the Kaniyat Militia DOB: 7.9.1997 Nationality: Libyan Passport number: PH3854LY ID number: 119970331820 Gender: male | Abderrahim Al-Kani is a key member of the Kaniyat Militia and brother of the Head of the Kaniyat Militia, Mohammed Khalifa Al-Khani (deceased in July 2021). The Kaniyat Militia exercised control of the Libyan town of Tarhuna between 2015 and June 2020. Abderrahim Al-Kani is in charge of internal security for the Kaniyat Militia. In that capacity, he is responsible for serious human rights abuses in Libya, in particular extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of persons between 2015 and June 2020 in Tarhuna. Abderrahim Al-Kani and the Kaniyat Militia fled Tarhuna in early June 2020 to eastern Libya. After that, several mass graves attributed to the Kaniyat Militia were discovered in Tarhuna. | 22.3.2021 13. | Aiub Vakhaevich KATAEV (a.k.a. Ayubkhan Vakhaevich KATAEV) | Аюб Вахаевич КАТАЕВ (a.k.a. Аюбхан Вахаевич КАТАЕВ) (Russian spelling) | Position(s): Former Head of Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the city of Argun in the Chechen Republic DOB: 1.12.1980 or 1.12.1984 Nationality: Russian Gender: male | Head of Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the city of Argun in the Chechen Republic until 2018. In his capacity as Head of Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in Argun, Aiub Kataev oversaw the activities of local state security and police agencies. In this position, he personally oversaw widespread and systematic persecutions in Chechnya, which began in 2017. The repressions are directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons, those presumed to belong to LGBTI groups, and other individuals suspected of being opponents of the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. Aiub Kataev and forces formerly under his command are responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, in particular torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as well as arbitrary arrests and detentions and extrajudicial or arbitrary executions and killings. According to numerous witnesses, Aiub Kataev personally supervised and took part in torturing detainees. | 22.3.2021 14. | Abuzaid (Abuzayed) Dzhandarovich VISMURADOV | Абузайд Джандарович ВИСМУРАДОВ (Russian spelling) | Position(s): Former Commander of the Special Rapid-Response Unit (SOBR) Team ‘Terek’, Deputy Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic, unofficial bodyguard of the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov DOB: 24.12.1975 | Former Commander of the Special Rapid-Response Unit (SOBR) Team ‘Terek’. Since 23 March 2020, Deputy Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic. Unofficial bodyguard of the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. Abuzaid Vismuradov was the Commander of the SOBR detachment ‘Terek’ from March 2012 until March 2020. In this position, he personally oversaw widespread and systematic persecutions in Chechnya, which began in 2017. The repressions are directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons, those presumed to belong to LGBTI groups and other individuals suspected of being opponents of the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. | 22.3.2021’ | | | POB: Akhmat-Yurt/Khosi-Yurt, former Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR), now Chechen Republic (Russian Federation) Nationality: Russian Gender: male | Abuzaid Vismuradov and the ‘Terek’ unit previously under his command are responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, in particular torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as well as arbitrary arrests and detentions and extrajudicial and arbitrary killings and executions. According to numerous witnesses, Abuzaid Vismuradov personally supervised and took part in torturing detainees. He is a close associate of Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic, who has been conducting a campaign of repression against his political opponents for many years. | * * *