Key facts
- Victor Labin, a Belgian-Russian national, was sentenced to five years in prison for illegally exporting dual-use goods to Russia.
- The court characterized the illegal exports as a "political crime."
- The scheme involved using front companies and falsified documents to channel goods through intermediary countries.
- Sanctioned goods included rare earths, an explosive detector, and a defense-related machine.
- Labin's son, L.R., was sentenced in absentia to six years in prison with an immediate arrest order.
- Victor Labin has already served one year of his sentence and may be eligible for parole.
A Brussels court has sentenced Victor Labin, a Belgian-Russian national, to five years in prison and an €80,000 fine for operating a criminal organization that circumvented EU sanctions by exporting restricted goods to Russia. The court deemed the illegal exports a "political crime."
Labin and Brussels-based entrepreneur P.I. allegedly organized a network between 2023 and 2025 to channel goods via entities in Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, and elsewhere, concealing the Russian end-destination. The group used front companies, falsified documents, and misdeclared shipments to evade export controls and customs rules. Prosecutors stated the trade ultimately supplied Russian entities tied to the military-industrial sector.
Labin's lawyer, Stanislas Eskenazi, described the sentence as unusually harsh, suggesting it may have been influenced by his client's Russian background. Labin has already served one year of his sentence and may be eligible for parole. Another individual, L.R., who was absent and believed to be abroad, received a six-year sentence and an immediate arrest order. P.I. received a three-year suspended sentence and a fine.
The court upheld charges of criminal organization, illegal exports of sanctioned goods including rare earths, an explosive detector, and a defense-related machine, along with forgery and customs fraud. The ruling stated that while the transport of aluminum oxide was not punishable, the overall scheme constituted a criminal offense.