Mining company Bitriver may challenge US sanctions

Leading Russian mining company Bitriver is considering filing a lawsuit against the US Treasury Department, which placed the firm on a sanctions list in April this year.

how reported RIA Novosti publication, the mining company Bitriver said that the sanctions caused significant damage to its reputation and international business, although the allegations are unfounded. The company claims that the US Department of the Treasury had no legal basis for such a decision.

Recall that at the end of April, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury included Bitriver and its 10 subsidiaries in the sanctions list. These companies are helping Russia monetize its natural resources and offset the impact of sanctions, the ministry said.

Now the company intends to demand through the court to remove it from the black list. Bitriver claims that the firm is not a government agency – it is “a 100% private company” that does nothing to help Russia get around the restrictions.

In addition, Bitriver is sure that in this way the US is lobbying the interests of its mining enterprises and eliminating a competitor, thereby violating the rules of the World Trade Organization.

Biriver CEO Igor Runets called it an attempt to change the global balance of power in favor of US-controlled companies and remove the largest Russian player from the market. Despite the sanctions, according to him, all production facilities and offices of the company are operating normally. Also, Bitriver continues to work with its clients from other countries.

Earlier, the US Treasury included the Blender cryptocurrency mixer on the sanctions list, saying that it helped launder stolen digital assets.