GosNIIOKhT

GosNIIOKhT was founded in 1924, during the time of the Soviet Union, to conduct research work in organic synthesis. In the early 1930s, the research institute was engaged in the development of chemical weapons.

Currently, its activities include the production of chemical weapons and other hazardous materials. Other areas of work include the development and production of drugs, toxicological research, preclinical testing, chemical technology, and environmental safety.

On October 15, 2020, European Union sanctions were imposed on the institute in connection with the poisoning of politician Alexei Navalny.[1][2] The Council of the European Union's grounds for designation states

The State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT) is a state research institute with the responsibility for the destruction of chemical weapons stocks inherited from the Soviet Union.

The institute in its original role before 1994 was involved in the development and production of chemical weapons including the toxic nerve agent now know as “Novichok”. After 1994, the same facility took part in the government’s programme for the destruction of the stocks of chemical weapons inherited from the Soviet Union.

On 20 August 2020, Alexei Navalny was taken seriously ill and admitted to a hospital in Omsk, Russian Federation. On 22 August 2020, he was transported to a hospital in Berlin, Germany. A specialised laboratory in Germany subsequently found clear evidence, also corroborated by laboratories in France and Sweden, that Alexei Navalny had been poisoned with a toxic nerve agent of the Novichok group. This toxic agent is accessible only to State authorities in the Russian Federation.

The deployment of a toxic nerve agent of the Novichok group would therefore only be possible due to the failure of the Institute to carry out its responsibility to destroy the stockpiles of chemical weapons.

— Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/1482 of 14 October 2020 amending Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons

On 21 March 2021, invoking its authorities under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) Section 231, the United States Department of State added GosNIIOKhT to its List of Specified Persons as persons that are part of, or operate for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation. The Department describes GosNIIOKhT as "a Russian institute with a longstanding role in researching and developing chemical weapons, and GosNIIOKhT developed Russia’s Novichok chemical weapons. Since 2016, GosNIIOKhT has expanded its research, development, testing, and evaluation capabilities."

In addition, GosNIIOKhT was designated under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Executive Order 13382, "Blocking Property of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators and Their Supporters."[3]