German-Russian pair on trial in Germany over sanctions violations
The trial of two German-Russian dual nationals accused of illegally delivering electronic components to Russia for use in the construction of military drones started on Friday in the south-western German city of Stuttgart.
In the opening hearing in Stuttgart's Higher Regional Court, a federal prosecutor said the Orlan 10 drones the pair allegedly indirectly helped to build were of "utmost importance" to the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
The prosecution accused the main defendant, a 59-year-old man from the western state of Saarland, of 54 violations of European Union sanctions on Russia.
The businessman, a managing director of two companies who has been in custody since March last year, allegedly deceived his US suppliers by assuring them the components, including transmitters, microchips and insulators worth a total of €875,000 ($942,350), would remain in Germany.
He then delivered the parts to front companies in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, from which they were sent to Russian military suppliers.
According to the indictment, the man repackaged the deliveries to mask the fact that they were covered by Russian sanctions and thus required export authorization. He did not declare the goods to Germany's Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control.
The man's partner, a 53-year-old woman from the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg, is accused of assisting him in 14 cases. She allegedly told US suppliers that the components were destined for her own company and submitted false documentation.
According to earlier information from the federal prosecutor's office, the businesswoman was also initially arrested, but was released last year.
The man did not comment on the allegations on the first day of the trial. However, in a character statement he provided, he said he opposed the war and did not support either side.
"I am against war and do not want to take part in this madness," he stated. "I want countries to live in mutual peace," he added.
His defence lawyer said the defendant would respond to the accusations in writing at a later hearing. His partner intends to do the same.
The trial is not the first in Germany of people accused of circumventing sanctions on Russia.
Another trial is currently under way in Stuttgart against a man who is alleged to have supplied machine tools to Russian weapons manufacturers. A district court in Cologne also recently handed down a suspended sentence to a car dealer who sold luxury vehicles to Russia despite the sanctions.
