Viktor Vasilyevich ZOLOTOV

Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia). Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, as well as Commander of OMON – the Special Purpose Mobile Unit integrated in Rosgvardia.

1954-01-27

Sasovo, Russia

Male

770600283509 (other-Other identification number) (ID number (probably Russia))

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202402999

Position-based reason

Executive

Viktor Zolotov has been the Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia) since 5 April 2016 and therefore Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, as well as Commander of OMON – the Special Purpose Mobile Unit integrated in Rosgvardia. In that position, he oversees all activities of Rosgvardia and OMON troops. In his capacity as Director of Rosgvardia, he is responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions and systematic and widespread violations of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, in particular by violently repressing protests and demonstrations. Rosgvardia was employed to quell the pro-Navalny protests of 23 January and 21 April 2021, and many OMON and National Guard officers were reported to have used brutality and violence against protesters. Dozens of journalists were targeted with aggression by the security forces, including Meduza’s correspondent Kristina Safronova, who was hit by an OMON officer, and Novaya Gazeta’s journalist Yelizaveta Kirpanova, who was hit on the head with a truncheon leaving her bleeding. During the 23 January 2021 protests, security forces arbitrarily detained more than 300 minors.

EU

2024/2999 (OJ L03122024)

(Date of UN designation: 2021-03-02)

2024-12-03

EU

Restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses

EU-horizontal

Human Rights

Asset freeze and prohibition to make funds available, Restrictions on admission

- All assets of the listed persons and entities should be frozen. It is also prohibited to make any funds or assets directly or indirectly available to them. - Member States shall enforce travel restrictions on persons listed in the Annex of Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999

On 9 December 2019, the Council welcomed the launch by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of preparatory work to establish a horizontal EU sanctions regime against serious human rights violations and abuses. On 17 November 2020, the Council approved conclusions on the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024, which set out the EU’s level of ambition and priorities in this field in its relations with all third countries. On 7 December 2020, the Council adopted the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. The regime enables the EU to target individuals, entities and bodies – including state and non-state actors – responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide, no matter where they occurred. It applies to acts such as genocide, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations or abuses. Other human rights violations or abuses can also fall under the scope of this sanctions regime, if they are widespread, systematic or otherwise of serious concern as regards the objectives of the EU common foreign and security policy. The restrictive measures consist of travel bans applying to individuals, and freezing of funds applying to both individuals and entities. In addition, EU persons and entities will be prohibited from making funds available to those listed, either directly or indirectly. Derogations to the restrictive measures are possible, including the delivery of humanitarian aid.