In Russia, the oligarch Dmitry Arkadievich Mazepin, who heads the largest producer of ammonium nitrate and the second largest producer of ammonia and nitrogen fertilisers(Uralchem), is challenging the decision of the Council of the European Union (2022/397 CFSP) in March 2022 to place him on the list of persons sanctioned for his support of the Kremlin's policies threatening Ukraine (case T-282/23).
The General Court rejects all the arguments put forward by Mr Mazepin. According to the Court, the EU Council duly gave reasons for its decision and Mr Mazepin had access to the evidence in his file, enabling him to easily understand what he was accused of and to be able to defend himself.
According to the European judge, the EU Council has provided a body of sufficiently concrete, precise and concordant evidence to show that Mr Mazepin is an influential businessman and that he operates in a sector that provides the Russian government with a substantial source of revenue. At the end of February 2022, following the initial stages of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, Mr Mazepin and 36 other businessmen took part in a meeting with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to discuss the choices to be made following the Western sanctions against Russia.
The European judge therefore considers that the sanctions against Mr Mazepin reflect the EU Council’s desire to exert pressure on the Russian authorities to put an end to the military aggression against Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the General Court also rejected the appeals of two Belarusian oligarchs: Mr Zaytsev (Joined Cases T-563/21 and T-564/21) and Mr Varabei (Case T-245/21).
See the General Court’s judgment: https://aeur.eu/f/9fe (Mathieu Bion)