Businessman and his son received sentences in Belgium for selling high-precision devices to the Russian Federation

Businessman and his son received sentences in Belgium for selling high-precision devices to the Russian Federation 0

Most of the goods exported to Russia are not subject to sanctions or restrictions.

A court in Brussels sentenced Belgian and Russian citizen Viktor Labin to five years in prison for the illegal export of dual-use goods and chemicals to the Russian Federation. This was reported by Reuters and Politico.

According to the court, Labin played a central role in supplying over 400 tons of goods to Russia, including sensors used for detecting and controlling explosions, and chemicals, including yttrium oxide – a raw material necessary for the production of components for electronics, military, and laser technology.

Labin and an entrepreneur from Brussels allegedly forged customs documents and directed shipments through companies in countries such as Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to conceal their final destination in Russia.

Most of the goods exported to Russia are not subject to sanctions or restrictions; however, the court believes that the crime had a "political" nature.

Labin's lawyer Stanislas Eskenazi stated that the exported chemical substance was not illegal in itself. According to him, the court imposed an unusually harsh sentence because his client was originally from Russia.

Labin was detained in the summer of 2025.

A year and a half prior, The Insider published an investigation about Viktor Labin and his sons – Roman and Ruslan. It stated that Labin Sr. supplied goods to the Russian company "Sonatek" through his company Groupe d'Investissement Financier, which is owned by his son Ruslan Labin. In turn, "Sonatek" provided supply and maintenance services to at least 18 defense industry enterprises.

The publication referred to Viktor Labin as a "GRU officer" – journalists discovered that he was registered in a dormitory of the Academy of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) in Moscow. Politico reports that representatives of the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office stated in court that they suspect him of having ties to the Russian military intelligence.

Labin Sr. spent nearly one year in custody. Eskenazi believes that his client may be eligible for parole in a few months. The court in Brussels sentenced Ruslan Labin in absentia to six years in prison.