| UK-Erklärung der Gründe |
Lieutenant General Denis KOLESNIKOV is an involved person under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 because i) as Head of the Investigative Department at the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (rank of Lieutenant General) he is a member of the Armed Forces or law-enforcement organs of the Russian Federation of the rank of colonel, or equivalent, or higher; ii) KOLESNIKOV approved a decision to petition the arrest of Vladimir Kara-Murza in a politically motivated case for disseminating false information about the Russian army under section 2 of article 207.3 of the Russian Criminal Code, one of the so-called “fake news” laws. This law was enacted as a result of, and its application and enforcement by prosecutors and courts is a result of, a Russian Government policy aimed at preventing the Russian public from knowing the truth about the conflict in Ukraine and intimidating those willing to criticise it and to provide accurate information about the conflict. This policy prevents the spread of accurate information about the conflict, anti-war sentiment and dissent that would undermine the Russian Government’s ability to wage the war by reducing the support of the Russian population. In this way, the policy is facilitating the continuation of the war, which is destabilising Ukraine. KOLESNIKOV’s approval of the decision to petition the arrest of Vladimir Kara-Murza amounts to providing support for this policy. Therefore, KOLESNIKOV is an involved person because he is providing support for a policy that is destabilising Ukraine.
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