On 14 July 2026, the Council of the European Union imposed restrictive measures on 15 individuals and one entity for serious human rights violations against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees in occupied Ukrainian territories and Russia. The sanctions target eight Russian individuals and one entity under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, and seven additional individuals under the EU sanctions regime on Russia. Those listed include Dmitry Neelov, first deputy head of the Olenivka prison, involved in the mass killing of Ukrainian prisoners in July 2022; Alexei Khavetsky, head of security at Penal Colony No. 7 in Pakino, who orchestrated systematic mistreatment including electric shocks and sexual violence; and Yan Zanevsky, an FSB officer responsible for torture in occupied regions. The entity sanctioned is Pre-trial detention center-2 Taganrog (SIZO 2), where journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna died after torture. The measures include asset freezes and travel bans, with EU citizens and companies prohibited from making funds available to listed individuals and entities. The EU reiterated its condemnation of torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs and called for unhindered access by independent monitors, including the International Committee of the Red Cross. The legal acts were published in the Official Journal of the EU on 13 July 2026. This action builds on the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime established on 7 December 2020 and the Russia-specific sanctions regime adopted on 27 May 2024. It follows a statement by the EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva on 16 March 2026, which condemned Russia's violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine, including summary executions and systematic torture of POWs and civilian detainees.
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