EU General Court Maintains Sanctions Listing of Russian Businessman Under Libya Sanctions List

The EU General Court in a June 1 judgment dismissed an application from sanctioned individual Yevgeniy Prigozhin to revoke the European Council acts including and maintaining his designation under the Libya sanctions regime. Prigozhin was originally listed due to his standing as a Russian businessman with links to the paramilitary Wagner Group. He filed his case to argue that the council relied on inadmissible evidence to make the sanctions decisions. The court rejected this claim, holding that the evidence, which includes UN reports and press articles, appears sound and reliable and thus contains "some probative value."

Addressing Prigozhin's other claims, the General Court held that the council did not abuse its power when making the sanctions decisions and that the rights of the defense were not infringed during the proceedings. "In the present case, there is no evidence to support the idea that the procedure which led to the adoption of the contested acts was initiated for ends other than those for which the power in question was conferred," the court said in a news release. "As regards the alleged infringement of the rights of the defence and the right to effective judicial protection, the General Court notes that the initial listing decision and the documents in the evidence pack were communicated to Mr Prigozhin, who was then able to submit observations which were examined by the Council."