The U.K. High Court of Justice's Administrative Court on Aug. 18 rejected a sanctions designation appeal by Eugene Shvidler, an associate of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and a director of mining giant Evraz. The court ruled the designation was "proportionate" and not "discriminatory."
The U.K.'s Export Control Joint Unit on Aug. 11 issued a new general license under its Russia sanctions regime permitting the provision of certain legal advice and services. The license authorizes legal advisory services to any person or entity related to whether an "act or a proposed act complies with" sanctions, export and import controls on Russia. Parties may now provide legal advisory services surrounding the risk of "punitive measures" concerning sanctions on Russia, any Russian laws that "have as their object or effect the frustration of any laws specified [in any restrictive measures] including sanctions, export and import controls or other restrictive measures imposed by Russia"; or "any criminal law imposed by any jurisdiction."
The Moscow Arbitration Court in an Aug. 1 order froze shares of companies owned by Goldman Sachs Group, worth around $36 million, after Russian bank Otkritie filed a lawsuit against the U.S. banking giant, the Financial Times reported. State-owned Otkritie said Goldman refused to fulfill $6.4 million in debt obligations under derivatives deals between the two banks. Goldman said it was not able to settle the debt due to sanctions set against the Russian bank, FT reported.
The EU General Court in a pair of July 26 orders annulled the sanctions acts listing Viktor Pshonka, a former Ukrainian prosecutor general, and his son, Artem, a former Ukrainian lawmaker, according to an unofficial translation. The elder Pshonka was originally sanctioned in 2014 for embezzling Ukrainian public funds, according to the EU Sanctions blog. The blog noted that the court said the European Council failed to show that the Pshonkas' rights to judicial protection were respected by Ukrainian authorities during criminal proceedings on which the council relied.
The U.K. High Court of Justice Administrative Court recently dismissed an application from Russian businessman Sergei Naumenko and companies Dalston Projects and Prism Maritime, legal owners of the Phi superyacht, seeking to regain control of the vessel. The British secretary of state for transport in March 2022 seized the yacht under its Russia sanctions regime.
The EU General Court last week affirmed a European Commission decision that allowed German securities depository bank Clearstream Banking to comply with U.S. sanctions on Iran. The case stemmed from a commission decision in 2020 that authorized Clearstream to withhold payment of dividends to German firm IFIC Holding, whose shares are indirectly held by the Iranian government. IFIC had asked the General Court to annul the decision.
A new law announced by the U.K. June 29 could prevent lawyers from providing legal services to Russian companies in "certain business deals -- thwarting the nation from benefitting economically from" British legal services, the Ministry of Justice said. The rules are meant to build on existing restrictions imposed on Russia covering the provision of legal services by also extending these restrictions "to facilitate certain commercial activity which benefits the country." The legislation could also block "legal professionals" from advising international companies on lending decisions to Russian companies, the ministry said.
The European Council appointed five new prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office following a "partial renewal" of the EPPO College, the council announced. Terms for the eight current prosecutors expire July 28. Six-year terms will begin July 29 for new appointees Nikolaos Paschalis, Andrea Venegoni, Anne Pantazi Lamprou, Gedgaudas Norkunas and Ursula Schmudermayer. Prosecutors are charged with investigating and charging crimes against the bloc's financial interests, including fraud, corruption and cross-border value-added tax fraud above 10 million euros. Three additional prosecutors will be named at a later date, the council said.
Canada's proposed "last sale" change to its customs valuation practice could present a host of problems for customs brokers, law firm Neville Peterson said in a blog post. If the regulatory change, which would require imports to be assessed duties according to the price of their "sale for export," is approved, brokers would have to examine resales to accurately file entries and would "no doubt be required to file many post-importation adjustments," the firm said.
The European Council dropped two names from its Democratic Republic of the Congo sanctions regime following a ruling from the EU General Court. The individuals, Kalev Mutondo and Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, were originally listed for obstructing the 2018 elections in the Congo, the council said June 19. In March, the General Court ruled that the council failed to adequately link Shadary and Mutondo and the security situation in the Congo.