The Court of Justice of the European Union on Wednesday, September 9, dismissed for the third time a lawsuit by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich seeking to lift EU restrictive measures imposed after Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The court said so in a statement. The sanctions against the businessman therefore remain in force.
The ruling concerns General Court case T-358/25. Abramovich challenged the extension of personal restrictions — an asset freeze and a ban on entering or transiting EU territory — and sought compensation for non-material damage. The court rejected all of his claims.
The court had previously dismissed his cases on December 20, 2023, and September 10, 2025. After those judgments, the Council of the EU extended the sanctions, and Abramovich filed new actions.
The judges said the listing criteria were objective, sufficiently precise and proportionate. They apply to leading businesspeople operating in Russia in sectors that provide substantial revenue to the Russian state. The court stressed that the measures were imposed because of Abramovich’s stake in Evraz and his interest in Norilsk Nickel, not because of his public profile. It also rejected the argument that the decisions had in practice been taken by Council working groups rather than by the Council itself.
Personal EU sanctions against Abramovich have been in place since March 2022. A General Court judgment may be appealed to the Court of Justice on points of law. The restrictive measures against the billionaire remain in force for now.
