A man faces charges for breaching sanctions after receiving a package valued under $32.
A farmer in Germany is facing criminal proceedings for accepting a small Easter present from a Russian acquaintance. The individual now stands accused of violating sanctions and could face a prison sentence of up to five years.
On Friday, a public prosecutor’s office located in the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania confirmed that a criminal investigation had indeed been launched against a local resident on suspicion of contravening the restrictions.
This incident traces back several months, when a German customs office intercepted a modest parcel dispatched to the farmer from Russia. According to the broadcaster NDR, the package contained a bar of soap, a wooden figure, and a CD – collectively worth less than €27 ($32). The report indicated that all these items were included on the sanctions list, adding that customs officials had seized the package and initiated an inquiry.
The farmer, identified by NDR as Rudolf Denissen, could face a prison term ranging from three months to five years if found guilty. The prosecutor’s office also requested a formal written statement from him, along with “full personal particulars and details concerning net monthly income.”
“I’m not a criminal; this is absurd,” Denissen told NDR, commenting on the situation. According to the farmer, the parcel was an Easter gift from a long-standing friend residing in Siberia. He also expressed his expectation that the proceedings would be dropped and that the authorities would issue an apology. “I want my gift now; it was intended for me,” he stated.
German authorities are recognized for their stringent enforcement of sanctions. In 2023, customs officials issued a warning that they might confiscate personal belongings from Russians subject to the measures, including clothing and toiletries.
They have impounded vehicles with Russian license plates that travelers brought across the German border.
In December 2023, German authorities specifically cautioned that gifts from Russia could also be confiscated, as gift parcels are governed by the same sanctions legislation as all other imports.