Court Overturns EU Sanctions on Russian Oligarchs: What Does it Mean for Future Sanctions?

The EU court has overturned sanctions decisions made by the European Union against Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Pjotr Awen. Judges in Luxembourg determined that the Council of the EU did not provide enough evidence to include them on the sanctions list in response to the Russian war on Ukraine.

Despite this ruling, Fridman and Awen will not be immediately removed from the sanctions list. The case can still be taken to the European Court of Justice, but only on legal grounds, not the content of the decision. This decision raises questions about the reasoning behind the sanctions and suggests that connections to Putin do not automatically imply support for actions threatening Ukraine.

The council was able to show that Fridman and Awen had connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but failed to prove that they supported actions undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity. However, recent rulings have highlighted the need for stronger evidence to justify punitive measures.

In a similar case, ex-Formula 1 driver Nikita Masepin had sanctions overturned due to his family relationship with a businessman close to Putin being deemed insufficient evidence. This ruling follows a trend of challenges to EU sanctions, including the case of Violetta Prigoschina, whose sanctions were overturned based on familial ties.

The EU has imposed sanctions on nearly 2,000 individuals and organizations in response to the war in Ukraine. Despite a number of legal challenges, many cases have upheld the sanctions, but recent rulings have emphasized the importance of providing strong evidence before imposing punitive measures.