EU General Court Rejects 2 Russia Sanctions Delisting Applications

The EU General Court on Feb. 7 dismissed sanctions removal applications from Russians Alisher Usmanov and Igor Shuvalov, according to an unofficial translation.

Both were listed in February 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Usmanov was sanctioned due to his position as a "pro-Kremlin oligarch" and for restricting the "editorial freedom" of the Kommersant newspaper after taking control of the outlet. Shuvalov was sanctioned for serving as president of the state-owned development company Vnesheconombank (VEB.RF) and as former first deputy prime minister of Russia.

The court rejected a host of Usmanov's claims, including that the European Council didn't conduct "updated assessments of his situation and that the restrictive measures taken against him were maintained automatically." The court disagreed, saying the EU is presumed to update a listing when it's renewed, even if the reasons for the listing don't change.

Usmanov also said the reasons for his listing are "too vague and do not allow him to know the individual, specific and concrete reasons for" his designation. But the court said those reasons were known to Usmanov, adding that the EU's sanctions decision was "sufficiently clear and precise."

In Shuvalov's case, the former official said his designation wasn't proportionate because the freezing of his assets would harm VEB.RF's economic activity. The court said the applicant couldn't prove this and also couldn't show how a travel ban placed on Shuvalov would stop him in a "general and absolute manner" from "doing business."