In a ruling issued today, the General Court of the European Union annulled the EU’s sanctions against Dmitry Pumpyansky - after he had already won in the same court and had his sanctions annulled in 2024.
Despite this earlier victory, the Council of the European Union chose to renew his listing every six months with only superficial adjustments—transforming the sanctions regime into a “perpetuum mobile of illegality,” where legal defeats are met not with compliance, but with cynical repetition.
This new judgment reaffirms what the court had already said: the Council failed to substantiate the listings with individualised, verifiable evidence. The Court confirmed that there was no longer a legal basis to keep him listed as a “leading businessperson.”
“This ruling is not just a victory for our client - it is an indictment of a system that knowingly and repeatedly disregards judicial authority,” said Dr. Lansky, representing Mr. Pumpyansky together with Dr. Goeth in Court. “The Council has become an institution that only accepts the rule of law when it suits its political agenda.”
Mr. Goeth added: “Let us be clear: The EU now finds itself in the absurd position of criticising authoritarian regimes for ignoring court rulings, while it does the same at home. This undermines the credibility of the EU’s foreign policy and its standing as a rule-of-law based democracy on the global stage”.
The lawyers are calling for Mr. Pumpyansky's immediate delisting and for an end to the unlawful practice of quasi-automatic renewals even after successful challenges in court. Given that the current listing is in essence equivalent to what was now quashed twice by the General Court, if the Council fails to delist, it takes the risk of being liable for significant damages.
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