United Kingdom sanctions Eurasia Network, allegedly operating on behalf of fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor

The Eurasia Network, allegedly operating on behalf of fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, was sanctioned by the United Kingdom today. The decision involves freezing assets and imposing travel bans.

The British Embassy in Chisinau informed that "pro-Kremlin agents," held responsible for election fraud in Moldova, are among those sanctioned today by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

"The sanctions target a network of pro-Russian actors in Moldova, known as Eurasia, operating on behalf of the corrupt fugitive oligarch, Ilan Shor, previously sanctioned by the UK in 2022, for destabilizing democracy in Moldova and spreading Russia's hostile influence. The sanctions package is the latest action in the UK Foreign Secretary's campaign to combat corruption and dirty money," states the source.

According to the embassy, Eurasia, a Russian non-profit organization, was used by Ilan Shor to bribe Moldovan citizens to vote "no"atn the referendum on joining the EU.

"Moldova's police said that about 130,000 citizens had received a total of 15 million dollars from Eurasia, with payments ranging from 50 dollars per month for 'supporters' to over 2,500 dollars per month for 'leaders'. Today's sanctions target the founder and director of Eurasia, Nelli Alekseevna Parutenko, and Eurasia board member, Natalia Parasca, as well as Eurasia itself, and another key political agent of Shor, Marina Tauber. The sanctions expose the Kremlin's attempts to undermine and destabilize Eastern European democracies," said the British Embassy in Chisinau.

In this context, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that the sanctions convey a clear message - not to tolerate Russia's interference.

"We will not stand by while Russia undermines democracy and the rule of law, threatening the national security of countries we consider friends and partners. Left unchecked, this kind of insidious corruption can erode the very foundations of our society and open doors for Russia and other malign actors to expand their influence and compromise the stability of our neighbors and the UK. We must protect the institutions meant to hold these individuals accountable," said David Lammy.

The British Embassy in Chisinau noted that the individuals and entities designated for sanctions were: Eurasia, a non-governmental organization acting on behalf of pro-Russian Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor; Nelli Parutenko, founder and director of Eurasia; Natalia Parasca, board member of Eurasia and former leader of the Revival Party supported by Ilan Shor; Marina Tauber, former leader of the Shor Party.

The sanctions involve asset freezing, preventing any UK citizen or enterprise from utilizing funds or economic resources owned or controlled by the sanctioned person. Also, it prevents the provision of funds or economic resources to or for the benefit of the sanctioned person. The UK's financial penalties apply to all individuals in the UK and its territorial waters, as well as all individuals originating from the UK, wherever they are in the world.

At the same time, the nominated individuals will have travel bans, meaning they must be denied permission to enter or remain in the UK.