On 10 April 2024, the European General Court (Court) passed judgments in Cases T-301/22 Petr Aven v Council and T-304/22 Mikhail Fridman v Council that annul the inclusion of both the individuals on the lists of persons subject to the European Union (EU) restrictive measures (sanctions) between February 2022 and March 2023. An appeal against the decision may be brought before the Court within two months.
Although the Court judgments annul the 2022 decisions on the inclusion of the two individuals in Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 of 17 March 2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, the acts whereby the sanctions imposed had been extended remain in force.
The lifting of sanctions currently in force may be decided by the Council of the EU and, pending such a decision, sanctions against those persons shall remain in force, and the funds and economic resources belonging to, owned, held or controlled by the said natural persons shall be frozen, and shall not be made available to or for the benefit of those persons.
In both of those cases before the Court that challenged the restrictive measures, Latvia intervened in support of the position of the Council of the EU on the need for the sanctions in question. Latvia has provided a substantiated position to justify the sanctions; therefore, Latvia will call on the Council of the EU to appeal against the judgment of the Court.