Anna Hartz
Several people on the sanctions list have gone to court in an effort to have the restrictions removed and recover financial losses.
European Union sanctions against Russian officials and people connected to the Kremlin have led to a growing number of legal challenges.
Added to the EU sanctions list in 2022
Tatiana Navka, the wife of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, has filed a lawsuit with an EU court to challenge the sanctions imposed on her after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Onet. The former Olympic figure skating champion is asking the court to cancel the sanctions and award her more than €2 million in compensation.
Navka was born in the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic during the Soviet era and is now a Russian citizen. Her legal complaint was published in the European Union’s EUR-Lex system under case number T-324/26.
In her filing, Navka argues that the European Union did not have enough legal grounds to place her under sanctions. She also claims the decision was not properly explained and was based on an incorrect assessment of the facts.
The European Union added Navka to its sanctions list in June 2022, a few months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The restrictions include a ban on traveling to EU countries and financial measures that limit access to assets and business activities within the bloc.
Close ties to Russian politics
EU officials said the sanctions were imposed because of her close ties to Russia’s political leadership, which they hold responsible for the war against Ukraine.
Navka rejects that reasoning. She argues that there is no sufficient connection between her own actions and the objectives of the sanctions. She is asking the European Court of Justice to cancel the measures.
In addition to seeking the removal of the sanctions, Navka is requesting compensation for financial losses, damage to her reputation, and other non-financial harm. The total amount she is seeking is more than €2 million.
Members of Dmitry Peskov’s family, including some of his children, are also on the EU sanctions list. Other people linked to Russia’s ruling elite have filed similar legal challenges in recent years.
The EU court will now examine the case and decide whether the sanctions were legally justified and whether Navka has any right to compensation.
