EU sanctions VK group and leadership of prison in Russia, detaining Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war

Today, the EU imposed restrictive measures on VK group and subsidiary company Communication Platform LLC. 

VK is one of the main technological companies in Russia. It provides email and chat services and runs applications and the social media website VKontakte. VK is the parent company of Communication Platform LLC, the developer and manager of state-supported mobile phone application Max. The development of the Max application was supervised by the Federal Security Service (FSB), which established requirements that the developers of the Max application had to meet. The Max application must be pre-installed on all mobile phones and tablets sold in Russia and is integrated with the Gosuslugi service.

The new listing also includes Alexander Gnutov, Head of Penal Colony No 10, his five Deputy Heads and a Head of the Medical Unit. The colony is located in the village of Udarny in the Zubovo-Polyansky District of the Republic of Mordovia. 

According to the Council of the EU, hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war and Ukrainian civilians captured in the occupied Ukrainian territories have been held in Penal Colony No 10. Former detainees report inhuman and degrading treatment and torture, including electric shocks, beating, stress positions causing trophic ulcers, sexual violence, mock executions and the denial of medical care. Civilians are subjected to the same treatment as prisoners of war and are held without trial or status. Human rights defenders have reported about inhuman conditions and torture in Penal Colony No 10 since 2012, including towards Russian prisoners.

Those listed are responsible for serious violations or abuses of human rights, including torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, says the Council decision.

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Council decision