EU General Court Rejects Bid From Russian Businessman to Annul Sanctions Listing

The EU General Court on Sept. 20 rejected Russian businessman Alexey Mordashov's application to annul his sanctions listing, according to an unofficial translation. The court said the EU didn't err in finding that Mordashov is an influential businessman in sectors of the Russian government, rejecting his challenges to the process, reasoning and proportionality.

The court ruled that the European Council didn't need to identify the "Russian decision-makers" or support Mordashov received from them, noting it was sufficient for the council to point to the businessman's status as president of the Severgroup firm. The court also rejected Mordashov's evidence that the company sold its shares in Bank Rossiya, saying he failed to establish that the transfer was made to an independent third party.