While Russian forces continue attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure, the South African Republic announced that it will permit Russian oligarch under sanctions from the U.S. and EU to dock his super yacht in Capetown, as reported by BBC.
The yacht in question is owned by Alexei Mordashev, who is considered an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is worth EUR 522 million. It left Hong Kong this week. It should be noted that it was not confiscated there either.
At the time foreign media reported that the Chief Executive of Hong Kong John Lee Ka-chiu said that Hong Kong is responsible for respecting sanctions imposed by the UN, not the one-sided sanctions presented by individual jurisdictions.
It is also believed that Mordashev was not even on board the super yacht.
After leaders of the opposition in in the South African Republic invited the government to confiscate the 141 m long yacht The Nord, the representative of President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa said he sees no reasons why South Africa should follow the sanctions imposed by the west.
«South Africa has no legal obligation to follow sanctions imposed by the U.S. and EU,»
Vincent Magwenya told journalists on Tuesday, 25 October.
«South Africa’s duties when it comes to sanctions apply only to sanctions imposed by the United Nations Organisation,» he said, adding that the UN has not imposed any sanctions on Mordashev.
Following the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, western countries and their allies imposed sanctions on more than 1 000 Russian private persons and enterprises.
So far the South African Republic has avoided openly criticising Russia, abstaining in multiple votes in the UN in which countries were asked to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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