EU Court rejects lifting of sanctions against Russian metallurgical magnate

Deutsche Welle writes that Russian billionaire Viktor Rashnikov has never been able to free himself from EU sanctions imposed in connection with Russia’s aggression. On September 13, the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg rejected the claim submitted by Rashnikov on May 24, 2022.

“In his opinion, the businessman believes that the EU Council unlawfully and erroneously added him to the sanctions list, violating the EU Charter of Human Rights and his right to effective judicial protection,” the publication said.

According to DW, Rashnikov’s lawyers based their defense on the allegation that the principle of proportionality, the right to property and freedom of doing business, as well as the principle of non-discrimination, were violated. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an ardent supporter of Putin’s Russia, also called for European sanctions against Rashnikov to be lifted.

The publication writes that in the Official Journal of the EU Viktor Rashnikov was designated as one of the leading Russian oligarchs, one of the leading taxpayers of the Russian Federation.

“Recently, the company’s tax burden has increased, which has led to a significant increase in revenues to the Russian state budget. Therefore, he is one of the leading Russian businessmen operating in sectors of the economy that provide an important source of income.” “On behalf of the Russian government, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and destabilization of the situation in Ukraine,” the text of the document reads.

Lifting European sanctions – what is known

Dozens of cases filed by Russians and Belarusians challenging the imposition of European sanctions against them are awaiting the decision of the EU Court, the press service of the Court of Justice of the EU told DW.

“Most of the claims were filed by Russian businessmen who were subject to measures such as asset freezing and a ban on entry to the European Union in 2022, but so far only Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mother has managed to win the case. The court partially satisfied the case. Russian businessman Alexander Shulgin’s claim, but this decision can still be appealed by the EU Council,” the publication emphasizes.

At the same time, most of the claims of Russian oligarchs were rejected.

“In particular, the allegations of entrepreneur Mikhail Gutseriev, who was included in the EU sanctions list against Belarus for supporting Alexander Lukashenko; Allegations of Gennady Timchenko, co-owner of NOVATEK and SIBUR companies, as well as the wife of former general director Elena Timchenko, former owner of Yandex Tigran Khudaverdyan, Pipe metallurgical company (TMK) Dmitry Pumpyansky (from the beneficiaries and board of directors of TMK after being included in the sanctions list left), wife Galina Pumpyanskaya and son Alexander Pumpyansky (after being included in the sanctions list) were rejected. He also left the board of directors of TMK),” writes DW.

The EU Council, as stated in the publication, justified the sanctions against these individuals by supporting the policies of the Russian authorities that undermine the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

According to the statement made to DW by the press service of the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg, more than 70 claims of natural and legal persons objecting to decisions on sanctions from the Russian Federation and Belarus are currently being evaluated.

let’s remind this Focus He wrote that Russian billionaire Dmitry Pumpyansky tried to refute the sanctions imposed by the European Union through the court, but to no avail. It was learned that the London High Court refused to support Roman Abramovich’s business partner Evgeniy Shvidler’s claim regarding the lifting of British sanctions.

Moreover Focus He noted that on August 24, the United States expanded sanctions against Russia. 11 individuals and two legal entities from the Russian Federation fell under the White House restrictions.

However, according to journalists, the European Union will still lift sanctions against Russian businessman Grigory Berezkin, billionaire Farhad Akhmedov and Alexander Shulgin, the former head of the Russian e-commerce company Ozon.