Businessman Fined in U.K.’s First Russia Art Sanctions Conviction

Law & Politics Businessman Fined in U.K.’s First Russia Art Sanctions Conviction Jonathan Hornby will have to pay $37,400 for making a Russian icon and other luxury goods available to Russia. Jonathan Hornby will have to pay $37,400 for making a Russian icon and other luxury goods available to Russia. Jo Lawson-Tancred ShareShare This Article A British businessman has been fined £28,000 ($37,400) after pleading guilty to breaching U.K. sanctions by attempting to ship four artworks, including a Russian icon, to Russia. It’s the first reported conviction under the country’s ban on luxury exports to the region. Jonathan Hornby, 54, pleaded guilty to charges of making luxury goods available for use in Russia on July 1 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London. The fine was initially set to £51,000 ($68,000), or three times the combine value of the four works, but this was later reduced in recognition of Hornby’s early plea. The goods were seized by border officials at Heathrow Airport in February 2024, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which launched the investigation. One of the items was a Russian icon depicting St. Vladimir. The consignment was linked to both of Hornby’s businesses, Global Customs Systems U.K. Limited and In Time Worldwide Express Ltd. “The U.K. government has implemented the most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy,” Edwige Hill, deputy director of HMRC’s fraud investigation service, said in a statement. “This conviction shows the consequences of breaching Russia sanctions.” The U.K. banned the export of luxury items such as cars, jewelry, art, and antiques valued over £250 ($330) to Russia in April 2022. Breaching the law is considered a criminal offense and is punishable by an unlimited fine for companies and up to six months in prison for individuals. Since May 2025, art market participants have been legally obligated to report any known or reasonably suspected breaches of financial sanctions to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) or risk criminal prosecution. This applies to transactions or linked transactions involving works of art valued at €10,000 ($11,700) or more. U.K. officials have increasingly been prosecuting suspected breaches. In June, Petrofac Facilities Management Limited paid a £569,157 (around $760,000) compound settlement after breaching Russia sanctions regulations for the supply of industrial goods to individuals connected to Russia, and the provision of technical assistance relating to those goods. It was the first company to be publicly identified by HMRC as having accepted a penalty for breaching Russia sanctions. Last year, the Crown Prosecution Service charged the London branch of Hauser & Wirth and an art shipping firm with a breach of criminal sanctions that prevent making luxury goods available to Russia. The mega gallery said it will plead not guilty.