Press Release: Judgments in Cases T-331/14 Mykola Yanovych Azarov v Council, T-332/14 Oleksii Mykolayovych Azarov v Council, T-341/14 Sergiy Klyuyev v Council, T-434/14 Sergej Arbuzov v Council, T-486/14 Edward Stavytskyi v Council

The General Court of the ECJ decided on 28 January 2016 to annul the freezing of the assets of five Ukrainians, including Mykola Yanovych Azarov and Sergej Arbuzov, former Prime Ministers of Ukraine, for the period from 6 March 2014 to 5 March 2015.

The Court considered that a person cannot be treated as being responsible for misappropriation of funds solely on the ground that he is the subject of a preliminary investigation in a third country, without the Council of the European Union being aware of the matters alleged against that person in that investigation.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Judgment in Case T-290/14 Andriy Portnov v Council http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-judgment-in-case-t-290-14-andriy-portnov-v-council/

ESO: Background information: EU freezes misappropriated Ukrainian state funds http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-eu-freezes-misappropriated-ukrainian-state-funds/

ESO: Background information: Euromaidan - Protests in Ukraine 2013 - 2014 http://www.europeansources.info/record/euromaidan-protests-in-ukraine-2013-2015/

Politico, 28.01.16: Court deals new blow to EU on Ukraine sanctions http://www.politico.eu/article/court-deals-new-blow-to-eu-on-ukraine-sanctions/

EUObserver, 28.01.16: EU sanctions on former Ukraine regime unravel https://euobserver.com/foreign/132039

EUObserver, 25.01.16: Former Ukraine PM hoping to beat EU blacklist https://euobserver.com/foreign/131963

Euronews, 28.01.16: Court rules EU sanctions against five Ukrainians should be overturned http://www.euronews.com/2016/01/28/court-rules-eu-sanctions-against-five-ukrainians-should-be-overturned/

Kyiv Post, 28.01.16: EU lifts sanctions on five Yanukovych allies https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/eu-lifts-sanctions-on-five-yanukovych-allies-406846.html

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