For the complainants, continuing to exploit the Termokatstovoye deposit after the start of the Russian offensive, Totalenergies “contributed to providing the Russian government with the means necessary for the Commission of War Crimes”.
MO12345LEMONDE With AFP
The complaint for “complicity of war crimes” filed on October 13 in Paris against Totalenergies, accused of having allowed the manufacturing in fuel Russia used by planes engaged in Ukraine, was classified without follow -up, confirmed the National Anti-Roriste Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) at the France-Presse Agency (AFP).
The lawyers of the complainants had previously indicated in a statement having learned on January 10 that the PNAT, competent for war crimes, had classified their complaint filed on behalf of the Darwin Climax Coalitions associations, specializing in human rights and defense Populations affected by industrial predation, and Razom We Stand, Ukrainian organization which claims an embargo on imports of fossil energy from Russia.
They say they want to “contest” before the Attorney General of the Paris Court of Appeal this classification for “insufficiently characterized” offense. Masters William BOURDON, Vincent BRENGARTH and HENRI THULLIEZ “firmly challenge the appreciation made by the prosecution (…), inspired by exclusively political considerations”. For them, “no one can doubt the political will, especially in the current economic and political context, to spare total”. “The continuation of war criminals and their collaborators possibly responsible for violations of the law must not be abandoned to the Ukrainian victims of war or civil society,” wrote Svitlana Romanko, director of Razom We Stand, in the press release.
“Obviously unfounded accusations”
The PNAT told AFP that it has taken its classification decision “after a thorough legal analysis and factual of all the elements transmitted by the complainants and, of initiative, by total”. The prosecution “never hesitated to open surveys aimed at legal persons when there were sufficient elements to suspect their possible involvement in international crimes,” he added, saying to refuse “to any controversy relating to obviously unfounded accusations “.
The French energy giant had denounced “outrageous”, “defamatory” and “unfounded” accusations. The complaint, consulted by AFP, recalled that Totalenergies held, until September 2022, 49 % of the Terneftegaz company, which exploited the deposit of Termokarstovoïe, in the Russian Far North. The remaining 51 % were held by Novatek, number two of Russian gas, of which Totalenergies is also a shareholder up to 19.4 %.
Now, according to MO12345lemonde, this deposit provided gas condensate to a refinery which then made them fuel shipped to feed the Russian planes engaged in the conflict in Ukraine, at least until July 2022. The Totalenergies group , criticized for his maintenance in Russia, had assured that he produced “no kerosene for the Russian army”. Two days later, the group said it had concluded an agreement in July to sell its 49 % in Terneftegaz to Novatek, a finalized sale in September.
For the complainants, “continuing to exploit the Termokatstovoye deposit” after the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, on February 24, Totalenergies had “contributed to providing the Russian government with the means necessary for the Commission war crimes “.