At least seven people sanctioned by the European Union or the United States related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine obtained Maltese passports.
According to a recent report from the Financial Times, citing government data, these passports were granted through Malta’s Golden Passport Program, Schengen.News reports.
Among those sanctioned, mentioned in the FT article are:
Albert Avdolyan: sanctioned by the EU in February. He obtained Maltese citizenship in 2015 through the Citizenship by Investment Program, together with his wife and four children.
Evgeniya vladimirovna bernova: Accused by the US of sending dual-use equipment to Russia through a company based in Malta. Bernova said she obtained citizenship through the Golden Passport program in a legal way.
Semen Kuksov: Jailed in the United Kingdom for money laundering.
Pavel Melnikov: was convicted of tax fraud in Finland. According to the FT report, he is fighting to keep his Maltese citizenship while stressing that he obeyed all local laws and did nothing wrong.
EU Advocate General Supports Malta’s CIP
The Golden Passport Program of Malta allows wealthy international individuals to obtain citizenship in this country in exchange for financial investments and meeting the required requirements.
However, the scheme was often accused of being involved in irregular affairs such as money laundering and corruption.
Previously, the European Commission said that Malta’s Citizenship by Investment Scheme violates the EU rules.
The Commission said that the Citizenship by Investment Program of Malta goes against Article 30 and Article 4(3) of the European Union Constitution.
In response to these comments, the EU Advocate General, Michael Collins, said that the European Union countries have the right to sell their citizenship through the Golden Passport Programprovided they take steps to preserve their integrity through rigorous diligence.
Up to this point, several European Union countries have been known for their Golden Passport Programs, which offer citizenship in exchange for financial investments.
In 2023, the Commissioner for Justice and Consumers, Didier Reynders, said that European values are not for sale, considering the sale of citizenship through investment schemes unlawful under European Union law, stressing that it poses a significant security risk.
All Member States concerned should end their investor citizenship schemes immediately. In addition, they should assess whether they should revoke any ‘golden passports’ already granted to sanctioned individuals and others significantly supporting Putin’s war.
However, in spite of the fact that several European countries decided to abolish their Golden Passport Programs, following their involvement in irregular affairs, Malta’s Citizenship-by-Investment scheme continues to remain effective.