Top EU court dismisses sanctions appeal by Russia’s Timchenko

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union’s top court dismissed in first instance on Wednesday an appeal against sanctions by Gennady Timchenko, a Russian tycoon and a long-time ally of President Vladimir Putin, blacklisted following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The EU’s General Court, the first instance at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), also dismissed similar appeals by Timchenko’s wife, Elena, as well as Russian businessman Dmitry Pumpyansky and his wife Galina.

The rulings can be appealed to the CJEU’s highest instance.

Gennady Timchenko resigned from management of Russia’s largest private natural gas producer Novatek last year in March after being targeted with the sanctions by the 27-nation bloc.

The also EU blacklisted Dmitry Pumpyansky saying he is a billionaire whose businesses support and benefit from working with the Russian state.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Edited by Benoit Van Overstraeten)