German authorities have seized three private apartments belonging to a Russian lawmaker. The move marks the first time assets in Germany have been seized under EU sanctions, having only been frozen up until now.

German authorities seize Russian-owned properties

On Monday, the public prosecutor in Munich announced that authorities had seized three private apartments and a bank account belonging to a member of the Russian Duma parliament and his wife.

The Russian lawmaker, who has only been identified as L. by prosecutors, is under sanction in Europe. L. had previously voted in support of Vladimir Putin, and his plan to recognise the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic as independent states. Bavarian authorities are investigating whether L. and his wife, who have been on the sanction list since February 23, have infringed upon EU sanctions.

L. and his wife had been renting out the properties and using the seized bank account to collect rental payments of 3.500 euros a month from the tenants. The investigation began after the finance ministry in Bavaria notified the justice ministry at the beginning of May that the owner of the properties was on the EU sanctions list.

Germany has frozen 4,5 billion euros' worth of assets

Prosecutors stated that this is the first time assets have been seized by authorities under sanctions. "As far as we know, this is the first case in Germany in which assets have not only been "frozen" due to sanctions, but actual real estate has been seized," senior prosecutor Anne Leiding said.

According to German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, Germany has frozen 4,5 billion euros' worth of Russian assets, including central bank deposits, company shares and yachts. The EU has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russian banks, businesses and individuals in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The first sanctions were put in place just before the invasion, with further sanctions being implemented since.