The European General Court this Wednesday lifted the sanctions imposed by the EU on former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksandr, following a successful appeal.
However, Roman Abramovich, oil tycoon and owner of Chelsea FC, failed to convince judges that the asset freeze and travel ban imposed in retaliation for the war in Ukraine constituted a violation of his rights, in a separate ruling also published this Wednesday.
The EU Council, which groups member states, “made an error of assessment” when it added the names of Yanukovych and his son to the sanctions lists from 2021 onwards, as authorities were unable to demonstrate that the Ukrainian trial had been fair, the judges decided.
Yanukovych was ousted as president of Ukraine in 2014 after seeking to establish closer ties with Vladimir Putin, and currently lives in Russia.
His lawyers argued that his treason conviction by a Ukrainian court had been politically motivated and procedurally unfair, and that he had not been able to appeal another corruption conviction.
His son Oleksandr Yanukovych was also accused of carrying out transactions with pro-Russian separatist groups in Ukraine’s Donbas region – but judges said the Ukrainian court proceedings cannot be presumed to be legal.
The EU General Court overturned the decision to add the pair to an EU sanctions list and ordered the Council to pay legal costs.
But the judges took a different approach to oligarch Abramovich, arguing that his involvement in the Evraz steel company justified the sanctions and that the billionaire, an EU citizen, could still use the blocked funds to meet essential needs.
Parallel measures imposed by the UK last year forced Abramovich, who holds Russian, Israeli and Portuguese passports, to divest football club Chelsea – even though the billions in proceeds were structured in such a way that he could not benefit.
The EU has already sanctioned around 2,000 people and entities related to the war in Ukraine, in an attempt to weaken the Russian economy and influence President Putin’s inner circle. On Monday, it added 140 more names and restricted diamond imports.
EU courts have already rejected sanctions appeals brought by Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner mercenary group who died in August after trying to mutiny against Putin, and German Khan, a businessman sanctioned at the same time as Abramovich.
Abramovich made his fortune at Russian state oil company Sibneft, before becoming a major shareholder in Evraz. Although the oligarch denies that he owes his fortune to his ties with Putin, the EU claims that he is one of the main shareholders of Evraz.
Last year, Abramovich asked the court to annul his entry on the March 2022 list and for the EU to donate 1 million euros to a charity for war victims as compensation.
Council spokespeople and lawyers for Abramovich and Yanukovych did not immediately respond to a request for comment.