“Legal problem”: Czech president Petr Pavel explains why Russian rocket manufacturer’s family with property in Prague is not under sanctions

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When questioned by a Populyarnaya Politika (“Popular Politics”) correspondent as to why the family of Russian rocket manufacturing official Boris Obnosov, who owns property in Prague, has not faced sanctions, Czech President Petr Pavel claimed that there are no legal grounds in the Czech Republic to seize their property or expel them from the country:

“I understand that this is an emotional issue, but when I went to address the problem... There is a legal problem here. Up to now, there is no legislation that would allow the Czech Republic to either confiscate [his property] or expel him from the Czech Republic. I'm looking for ways to address it.”

In an investigation released on May 10, 2023, Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) revealed that the family of Boris Obnosov, head of Russia’s Tactical Missile Armament Corporation, owns a 140-square-meter penthouse near the center of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The real estate, worth €1.1 million ($1.2 million), belongs to Rostislav Zorikov, the husband of Obnosov's daughter Olga Zorikova.

Vyacheslav Gimadi, the head of the ACF’s legal department, told media outlet Sirena that the Czech Republic in fact does have legal grounds to impose sanctions against Obnosov's family. Gimadi referred to the Czech “Act of 1 December 2022 on Restrictive Measures against Certain Serious Conduct applied in International Relations (Sanctions Act).”

This document is based on the European Union law on sanctions against those who infringe on Ukraine's sovereignty. Under the law, the Czech Republic has sufficient legal grounds to impose sanctions on Obnosov, Gimadi points out.

The lawyer further explained that the law allows for the imposition of sanctions against all individuals responsible for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, those who support the invasion materially or financially, as well as all individuals who receive benefits from the Russian government.