These are Alisher Usmanov, who was listed on February 28, 2022, and Grigory Berezkin, who has been under sanctions since April 2022. “They both come from Putin’s entourage, but they also appear to be his best friends.”
In a trial before the Court of Justice, it will have to be demonstrated whether there was a factual and fair trial. For example, it examines whether fundamental rights have been violated and whether the decision to place on a sanctions list is sufficiently reasoned. ‘These are the fundamental rights of the EU Charter. You will have to prove that they have not been observed.’
80 processes
There are more Russians trying, there are 80 such cases before the Court. Still, the chance of the oligarchs being removed from the list is slim, thinks Over de Linden. ‘The Court of Justice finds that these fundamental rights have not been violated. Many oligarchs invoke the principle of motivation to show that they do not support the war in Ukraine. But according to the Court, the criterion of the context is sufficient”.
According to the court, it is clear that the men are Putin’s friends and for the many billions in revenue they make they also support the regime, which also increases the war chest. Furthermore, in 2014 the two oligarchs expressed their support for the annexation of De Krim.
European Council
Another option, via the European Council, is also not very promising, thinks Over de Linden. “In that process, the person who announced the sanctions will alone decide whether to remove you from the list or not.” However, the 27 EU member states have unanimously agreed to include these people in the list.
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