British national Jonathan Hornby is the first from his country to be convicted of violating the UK’s sanctions on exports of luxury goods to Russia, imposed in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which was launched on February 24, 2022.
Hornby, managing director of a logistics company, attempted to send four artworks to Russia in February 2024, according to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Government officials seized the shipment, which was linked to Hornsby’s businesses, Global Customs Systems UK Limited and In Time Worldwide Express Limited, at Heathrow Airport. He pleaded guilty to the charges at Westminster Magistrates Court on July 1.
“This conviction shows the consequences of breaching Russia sanctions that we can and do investigate,” Edwige Hill, a deputy director in HMRC’s fraud investigation service, said in a statement to ARTnews. “Non-compliance with Russia sanctions is a serious offence and together with our international partners, the UK government has implemented the most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy.”
Hornby was issued a fine of £30,085 ($40,242).
The UK put in place a slate of sanctions against Russia in March 2022, including a ban on exports to Russia of luxury goods such as luxury vehicles, high-end fashion, and artworks, as well as steep import tariffs on items like vodka, art, and antiques. The government said the ban was meant to “make sure oligarchs and other members of the elite… are deprived of access to luxury goods,” as NPR reported at the time.
That initiative came shortly after the UK announced sanctions on seven of Russia’s wealthiest oligarchs, including some with significant art collections, such as Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska.
