Kremlin Elite Push Back Against EU Sanctions in Court

Tatiana Navka, a former Olympic figure skating champion and the wife of Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, has filed a lawsuit with the Court of Justice of the European Union seeking the removal of EU sanctions imposed on her.

The General Court of the European Union placed Navka, along with other members of Peskov’s family, on the EU sanctions list in June 2022 over Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The sanctions include a travel ban preventing entry into EU member states and the freezing of financial assets.

Born in Soviet Ukraine and now a Russian citizen, Navka argues that the European Union failed to provide sufficient justification for her inclusion on the sanctions list, made errors of law and fact, and did not establish a direct link between her and the conduct targeted by the sanctions. She is also seeking more than €2m ($2.3m) in compensation from the Council of the European Union for material, non-material and reputational damages.

Yekaterina Ignatova, the wife of Sergei Chemezov, the head of the Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec, has also launched legal proceedings seeking the removal of EU sanctions.

(Reuters, Max)