The South Karelia District Court has handed down a historic guilty verdict in a case concerning a breach of European sanctions imposed on Russia. Risto Riigimäki, managing director of the Finnish construction company Idä Liikenteenvälitys IL Oy, has been sentenced to 3 years and 8 months’ imprisonment.
According to the investigation, between 2022 and 2023, the company, under the leadership of Riigimäki, illegally exported a significant number of lorries and trailers to Russia. The total value of the shipments, according to some estimates, exceeded 17–20 million euros. To circumvent EU sanctions, front companies registered in Turkey and Kazakhstan were listed in customs and transport documents, which made it possible to conceal the final recipient in the Russian Federation.
This is the first case in Finnish history in which a court has handed down a guilty verdict specifically for breaching the sanctions regime against Russia following the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Previously, similar cases either did not reach a verdict or ended in acquittal.
The prosecution had sought up to four years’ imprisonment for the businessman, as well as a substantial fine for the company itself. The court found the defendant guilty and imposed a sentence close to that sought. The defence has not yet commented on the possibility of appealing the verdict.
The case has become a striking example of the tightening of controls over sanctions compliance in EU border regions. Finnish customs authorities have repeatedly highlighted the risks of using complex international schemes involving third countries to re-export prohibited goods to Russia.
The Finnish and EU authorities continue to strengthen measures to prevent the circumvention of sanctions, urging companies to thoroughly verify the end-users of dual-use goods and vehicles. This verdict could set a precedent for similar cases in other EU countries.