EU General Courts Grants Russian Man's Bid to Annul Sanctions Relisting

The EU General Court on Nov. 29 accepted the second application from Alexander Pumpyanskiy, son of Russian oligarch Dmitry Pumpyanskiy, to annul his sanctions relisting, according to an unofficial translation. The court rejected his claim for damages. Pumpyanskiy was sanctioned in March 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, because of his relationship to Dmitry Pumpyanskiy, and because he was president and board member of the Sinara Group.

The European Council then relisted the Russian businessman until March 2024, noting that Pumpyanskiy was no longer the president, nor on the board of, the Sinara Group. As a result, the only basis for his listing was his relationship with his father. The court ruled that, in light of the relevant case law, it's not enough to "justify the inclusion of the applicant's name on the lists in question."

Regarding Pumpyanskiy's claim for damages, the court said that it must be found that "the condition relating to the reality of the damage is, in the present case, not satisfied and that, in any event, the non-pecuniary damage suffered by the applicant is adequately compensated by the finding of illegality of the restrictive measures taken against him."