A Latvian court has imposed a penalty for a sanctions violation related to Crimea.
In Latvia, the Latgale Regional Court has found a travel consultant guilty of organizing tourist trips to Crimea in violation of European Union sanctions. The court sentenced the individual to 100 hours of community service, while the company she represented was fined €10,500.
A first-instance court had previously acquitted the defendant, but the regional court overturned that ruling.
The criminal case was initiated based on a European Council regulation that prohibits the provision of services directly linked to tourism in Crimea and Sevastopol. This regulation establishes that such commercial activities constitute a breach of sanctions.
The European Union began imposing sanctions on Russia over Crimea in March 2014. On December 19, 2014, the EU enacted sanctions targeting investment, trade, real estate purchases in Crimea, infrastructure construction, and the provision of tourist services, as well as restrictions on the export of goods and technologies for the energy, transport, and telecommunications sectors, and for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons and minerals.
