UN Rapporteur Praises US For Lifting Sanctions On Russian Aluminum Giant RUSAL

Idriss Jazairy, the UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures, welcomed in a comment to Sputnik the US move to lift sanctions on Russian aluminum giant RUSAL, owned by businessman Oleg Deripaska

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2019) Idriss Jazairy, the UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures, welcomed in a comment to Sputnik the US move to lift sanctions on Russian aluminum giant RUSAL, owned by businessman Oleg Deripaska.

"Recently we also advocated that the sanctions be lifted from RUSAL, which is the world largest producer of aluminum. We advocated for that in the Human Rights Council and in the General Assembly. And I wish to express my warm thanks to the US that has responded positively and also lifted the sanctions of RUSAL, which we advocated," Jazairy said.

On January 27, the US Treasury Department lifted sanctions imposed on RUSAL, EN+ Group and EuroSibEnergo after the three companies reduced Deripaska's ownership stakes in them.

The sanctions against the businessman remain in force. The Treasury has, however, warned that the sanctions would be reinstated if the companies failed to comply with their commitments.

Earlier in March, Deripaska filed a lawsuit with the US District Court in Washington against the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) over the sanctions. In the lawsuit, Deripaska said the United States' "unlawful" restrictions had taken a devastating toll on his work and livelihood and requested the US court to order the Treasury Department to disclose information justifying the sanctions against him.