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Supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin are attending a rally earlier this year to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea by Russia.
Photo:
sergei chirikov / epa-efe / rex / Shutterstock
The United States imposed sanctions on three Russian and Ukrainian people who, he said, were linked to human rights violations in Crimea. Steps have been taken to prevent what Treasury officials have described as attempts to normalize relations with the Ukrainian enclave.
The United States also imposed sanctions on nine entities that allegedly participated in attempts to integrate Crimea into Russia.
Russian forces seized the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine in 2014 and then officially annexed the territory, a decision that the United States and most other countries condemned as illegal.
Among the sanctioned persons, there is an officer of the Federal Security Service of Russia, accused of kidnapping a Tatar Crimean activist and having participated in his torture.
A senior security official of the separatist government of eastern Ukraine, established with the support of Russia and military support, was also sanctioned. The official was accused of using his position to harass members of the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation.
Among the sanctioned companies, one of them belongs to the largest bank of Russia and participates in investment projects in Crimea.
"The Treasury remains committed to targeting Russia-backed entities seeking to profit from Russia's illegal annexation and occupation of the Crimea," said Sigal Mandelker, senior US department official. Treasury, in a statement.
"Our sanctions are a clear reminder that efforts to normalize investment and economic relations with those operating in Crimea will not be tolerated and are subject to US and European sanctions authorities," she added.
Officials from the Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration imposed sanctions in August following the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain earlier this year. Earlier this week, the State Department told Congress that Russia had not demonstrated that it had stopped using chemical or biological weapons, a determination that will result in additional sanctions.
