Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 April 2025.

UK sanctions corrupt actors undermining democratic governments in Foreign Secretary’s latest steps to crack down on corruption and illicit finance.

• UK sanctions pro-Kremlin operation responsible for destabilising Moldova
• Cronies used by corrupt leaders to undermine democracy and rule of law in Georgia and Guatemala also included in new crackdown
• Action marks latest step in Foreign Secretary’s campaign to tackle threats to UK from corruption and illicit finance

Pro-Kremlin operatives responsible for rigging elections in Moldova are among those hit with sanctions today (2 April), which will freeze assets and ban travel.

This crackdown is the latest in the Foreign Secretary’s campaign to tackle corruption and dirty money, which is vital to protect the UK public from organised criminals and safeguard our democracy.

The sanctions target a network of pro-Russian actors named Evrazia operating in Moldova on behalf of corrupt fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, previously designated by the UK in 2022, to destabilise Moldovan democracy and spread Russia’s malign influence.

Evrazia, a Russian non-profit, has been used by Shor to bribe Moldovan citizens to vote “no” in last year’s referendum on joining the EU. Moldovan police have said that approximately 130,000 citizens received a total of $15 million from Evrazia – with payments ranging from $50 per month for “supporters” to over $2,500 per month for “leaders”.

Today’s sanctions target the founder and director of Evrazia Nelli Alekseyevna Parutenko and member of Evrazia’s management board Natalia Parasca, as well as Evrazia itself and another of Shor’s key political operatives, Marina Tauber.

These sanctions expose the Kremlin’s attempts to undermine and destabilise democracies in Eastern Europe. By targeting corrupt actors and their enablers, the UK is using its powers to create a more hostile environment for corruption and illicit finance and deter threats to the safety and security of Britain.

This marks the next step in the government’s ambitious agenda to tackle the devastating impacts of corruption and illicit finance, both at home and overseas, and deliver the UK’s national security under the Plan for Change.

Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said:

These sanctions send a clear message. We will not stand idly by as 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 neighbours and the UK.

We must protect the institutions designed to hold these unscrupulous individuals to account, and the independent investigative journalists whose hard and often dangerous work exposes the truth behind their actions.

Minister Doughty met earlier today with journalists from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to express support for their tireless and risky work exposing corruption and bringing those responsible to justice.

The independent investigative reporting by the OCCRP and the activities of civil society groups such as Transparency International often play a crucial role in informing sanctions of this kind.

Today’s sanctions also target corrupt officials and prosecutors in Georgia and Guatemala, who are sabotaging democratic governance and undermining judicial impartiality by abusing their power.

In Georgia, this includes the leaders of the ‘Judicial Clan’ – a group of party-political judges who are abusing their position to influence court rulings and undermine the rule of law for the benefit of the ‘Georgian Dream’ party and their control of Georgia’s judicial system.

In Guatemala, the sanctions are targeted at former President Giammattei and his ‘Pacto De Corruptos’ (‘Pact of the Corrupt’) – a cabal of officials and prosecutors still operating under the current Attorney General who have sought to undermine the anti-corruption reforms of President Arévalo by interfering in prosecutions and threatening investigators.

Background

The individuals and entity designated for sanctions today are:

Moldova

• Evrazia, a non-governmental organisation that acts on behalf of pro-Russian Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor;
• Nelli Parutenko, founder and director of Evrazia;
• Natalia Parasca, member of the Evrazia management board and former leader of the Shor-backed Renaissance Party;
• Marina Tauber, former leader of the Shor Party.

Guatemala

• Alejandro Giammattei, former President of Guatemala;
• Maria Consuelo Porras, Attorney General of Guatemala;
• Jose Curruchiche, Head of the Special Prosecution Office Against Impunity (FECI), who has undermined corruption investigations into Giammattei and his allies;
• Cinthia Monterroso, Prosecutor and Head of Unit at FECI;
• Angel Pineda, Secretary General of the Public Ministry, who has undermined corruption investigations into Giammattei and his allies, and targeted anti-corruption journalists, judges and prosecutors;
• Melvin Quijivix, former Head of the National Institute of Electrification, who misappropriated public funds for the benefit of his own businesses;
• Miguel Martinez, close associate of Giammattei.

Georgia

• Levan Murusidze, member of the High Council of Justice of Georgia and member of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals;
• Mikheil Chinchaladze, Chairman of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals.

About the OCCRP

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project is a global network of investigative journalists that exposes organised crime and corruption so citizens can hold powerful politicians and officials to account.

About Transparency International

Transparency International is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit and works with like-minded partners across the world to end the injustice of corruption. Its mission is to stop corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of society. As part of the Global Anti-Corruption Consortium, TI uses OCCRP’s investigative reporting to seek legal redress for victims of corruption, and advocate for reforms to close down the systems and networks that enable corruption to thrive, demanding greater transparency and integrity in all areas of public life.

Definitions

• Asset freeze: an asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world.
• Travel ban: a travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, providing the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 April 2025.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy travels to Kosovo and Serbia to strengthen cooperation on tackling irregular migration and serious organised crime.

• new cooperation agreement with Serbia to smash the gangs at the heart of irregular migration crisis and secure UK borders ahead of hosting major Western Balkans diplomatic summit this Autumn
• UK-supplied tech used in Kosovo to stop illicit goods and vulnerable people from reaching British shores and break the model of the criminal gangs
• UK and European security also top of agenda with a visit to British troops part of NATO’s Peacekeeping mission at a time of increased volatility

Britain is taking the fight directly to people smugglers and criminal gangs who have turned the Western Balkans into a major transit route for irregular migration and serious organised crime, the Foreign Secretary will tell partners on a visit to the region this week.

With almost 22,000 people recorded using the Western Balkans to transit into Europe last year, the Foreign Secretary will meet with counterparts to strengthen UK-Serbian cooperation by signing an Organised Immigration Crime agreement, first agreed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the European Political Community.

This will mean both countries can share information more quickly and directly to combat and disrupt organised immigration crime. David Lammy will also hear directly from female survivors of human trafficking.

This forms part of the government’s approach to tackle the problem at every step of the people smuggling journey, working with neighbouring countries to combine resources and share intelligence and tactics.

Ahead of the Berlin Process Summit, a diplomatic meeting to deliver on the government’s plan for change through closer security ties and greater migration cooperation, David Lammy will see UK technology being used to detect drugs and weapons concealed in vehicles – alongside drones and cameras used to track popular smuggling routes and prevent people dangerously and illegally crossing borders.

The Foreign Secretary’s visit is the latest step to drive further action upstream and builds on the announcement of the world’s first sanction regime to target organised immigration crime.

It comes after the Prime Minister and Home Secretary hosted the Organised Immigration Crime Summit in London this week as part of the toughest-ever international crackdown on people smuggling gangs and to deliver on working people’s priorities for secure borders.

The summit announced £30 million of funding to tackle supply chains, illicit finances and trafficking routes and an additional £3 million to enable the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to increase its capacity to prosecute organised international smugglers.

The summit also saw the Prime Minister announce that more than 24,000 people with no right to be here in the UK have been removed since July – the highest rate of returns for 8 years as the government begins to restore order to the immigration system.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

Criminal gangs have long exploited instability in the Western Balkans, parts of which have become a major transit route for irregular migration and serious organised crime. They are risking lives for profit and becoming increasingly violent in their determination to make as much money as possible.

This diabolical, lawless trade of smuggling vulnerable people is completely unacceptable and we are determined to end it as we secure the UK’s borders under our Plan for Change.

With the world becoming more dangerous and unpredictable, the Western Balkans is of critical importance to the UK and Europe’s collective security, and the UK remains committed to building resilience and stability in the region.

Across the region, external actors – including Russia – seek to exploit this fragility by fanning ethnic tensions, destabilising democracies and threatening the hard-won peace and stability.

UK expertise is set to strengthen the resilience of institutions against Russian and other malign influence – countering the threats of cyber-attacks, disinformation and interference in elections to stand up for freedom and democracy.

On the visit, the Foreign Secretary will sign an agreement between the UK and Serbia which underlines the shared goal of a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace and countering malicious cyber actors.

The UK has a longstanding role and an important legacy in promoting security in the region including in Kosovo, where it has maintained a presence through NATO’s KFOR mission since 1999. The Foreign Secretary will meet with British troops on the ground who serve in KFOR, NATO’s largest overseas mission, which contributes to maintaining a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo.

The UK will host a meeting of Western Balkans leaders at the Berlin Process Summit in London in Autumn 2025 to support stability, security and economic co-operation, tackle gender inequality and violence against women and girls, and focus work to combat irregular migration transiting the region.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 April 2025.

The Ukraine Donor Platform’s Steering Committee held its thirteenth meeting today, gathering for the second time in person in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

The meeting brought together senior representatives of Platform members, observers and international financial institutions.

The UK reiterated our absolute commitment to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and is engaging with key allies in support of this effort. The UK reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine and our determination to contribute to Ukraine’s long-term economic stability, resilience, and recovery.

Budget financing needs

Finance Minister Marchenko confirmed Ukraine’s external financing needs for 2025, projected at USD 39.3 billion. The Steering Committee also heard from the Canadian G7 Presidency about the important efforts underway to support Ukraine in the context of the G7 finance track. Through joint efforts, including the financing being mobilised by the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan initiative, resources have been secured to cover its external budget financing needs for 2025.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK’s total military, economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine amounts to £15 billion: £10 billion in military support (including our £2.26 billion ERA Loan contribution), and £5 billion in non-military support. The UK’s non-military support comprises £4.1 billion in fiscal support through World Bank loan guarantees to bolster Ukraine’s economic stability and support vital public services, and £977million in bilateral support, including £477million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine

Ukraine presented its top recovery and reconstruction priorities for 2025, based on the fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment and the Single Project Pipeline established by the Government of Ukraine: energy, heating, water supply and sanitation, housing and transport. Delivering effective support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction is a key priority for the Platform and donors committed to further strengthen their engagement on this track. The UK emphasised the importance of long-term planning for recovery and reconstruction, including efforts to support social recovery which will be vital for underpinning economic recovery.

Ukraine has withstood the winter season, surmounting the impact of Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure, with the strong support of the donor community. The UK will continue to support Ukraine in realising its vision of a cleaner, more modern, decentralised energy system.

The UK and other partners noted the importance of insurance for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction and for supporting international trade and investment. Work continues on facilitating a return of global reinsurance businesses to Ukraine.

Reforms driving sustainable growth and progress towards EU accession

Many participants welcomed Ukraine’s strong and continuing progress on reforms, including on the implementation of the Ukraine Plan, which are essential to improve the business climate, attract foreign direct investment and support economic development, and support Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory.

Enhancing public investment management for recovery and reconstruction

Ukraine updated on its progress towards an effective, transparent and well-coordinated public investment management system, which is crucial for its successful recovery and reconstruction. An integral part will be the two project preparation facilities under development – the Ukraine PPF, to be administered by the Government of Ukraine with support from the World Bank, and Ukraine FIRST, to be administered by the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The facilities are expected to be operational by the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2025), which will take place in Rome on 10-11 July, hosted by the Governments of Italy and Ukraine.

Stakeholder engagement

The Steering Committee discussed the Business Advisory Council’s latest input and commended its members’ efforts to identify concrete steps to boost private sector investment in Ukraine. It also held a productive exchange of views with representatives of Ukrainian civil society, with a focus on human capital. This discussion also served as a preparatory event for the human dimension of URC 2025.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 April 2025.

UK Statement for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Delivered by the UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you Madame Vice President,

We commend the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s strong engagement with the Council during its membership so far, recognising, in particular, their leadership in convening the special session of this Council last month.

The UK is deeply concerned by the significant deterioration of the situation in eastern DRC, where M23 and Rwanda Defence Force advances have displaced over one million people since January.

A resolution to this conflict is vital. We encourage all parties to engage in good faith and refrain from inflammatory rhetoric.

We are hearing horrifying accounts of human rights abuses and violations perpetrated by all parties including M23, the Rwanda Defence Force, the Armed Forces of the DRC, Wazelendo groups, and the Allied Democratic Forces.

We urge all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians, particularly from sexual and gender-based violence, and immediately end the abduction and recruitment of children.

Lastly, the UK reiterates its objection to the death penalty in all circumstances and, once again, urges the DRC to reconsider its decision to lift the moratorium on the death penalty.

Madame Vice President,

What more can the UN and the international community do to address the human rights situation in areas under M23 and RDF control?

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 April 2025.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on the OHCHR report on technical assistance for South Sudan. Delivered by the UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Madame Vice President,

We are grateful for today’s update and commend OHCHR’s continued provision of technical assistance in South Sudan.

As we have heard today, the situation in South Sudan is extremely grave.

We are deeply concerned by the increase in fighting in recent weeks. Aerial bombardments have killed civilians, and over 63,000 people are newly displaced. The arrest of the First Vice President, Riek Machar is troubling.

President Kiir and all leaders with control or influence over armed groups must order an immediate ceasefire to prevent the collapse of the peace agreement – and a tragic return to full-scale conflict.

Legislation on transitional justice institutions has now been passed. But these have not yet come into existence. Elections have also been postponed, further delaying democracy, accountability and peace in South Sudan.

The technical assistance and capacity building provided by OHCHR plays an important role. Alongside this, it is clear that the independent scrutiny of the human rights situation provided by the Commission for Human Rights is as vital today as when it was established in 2016.

In conclusion, we firmly believe it is time for the peaceful and democratic future promised to the people of South Sudan to be realised.

Thank you.