EU Court Partially Lifts Sanctions on Ex-Senator Tkach
The European Union's General Court annulled Council of the EU decisions to keep former Federation Council member Oleg Tkach on the sanctions list in September 2024 and 2025.
Consensus
- The European Union General Court annulled the EU Council's decisions to extend personal sanctions against Oleg Tkach in September 2024 and September 2025.
- Oleg Tkach is a former senator from Kaliningrad Oblast who served in the Russian Federation's Council of the Federation from 2004 to 2022.
- Tkach was initially sanctioned by the EU in March 2022 for voting to ratify a treaty between Russia and the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
- The court ruled that Tkach had withdrawn from Russian political life, as he did not seek re-election in September 2022 and obtained two new nationalities that prevent him from holding Russian state positions.
- Tkach remains on the EU sanctions list due to an independent decision by the EU Council from March 14, 2026.
- Tkach has filed a new legal challenge against the March 2026 decision.
Points of divergence
- The court's decision was based on the fact that Tkach had fully withdrawn from politics and had no real control over the publishing business 'Prosveshchenie'. — fontanka
- The court was convinced by evidence that Tkach had acquired two new nationalities, which legally prevent him from holding state positions in Russia. — vesti
- The court rejected the EU Council's argument about Tkach's influence over 'Prosveshchenie' due to lack of evidence and noted that 75% of the publisher was transferred to VEB.RF, RFPI, and Sberbank by 2021. — meduza
- The court did not accept the EU Council's claim that Tkach's failure to publicly condemn the invasion of Ukraine was evidence of support, citing the suppression of anti-war positions in Russia. — meduza
- The court found that the continuation of sanctions against Tkach was not in line with EU norms because he had left politics and acquired new citizenships. — vesti
Coverage (3 sources)
- EU Court of Justice annuls decisions on extension of part of sanctions against former senator Oleg Tkach — Фонтанка
- From former senator Oleg Tkach partially lifted European sanctions — Вести
- EU Court annulled two sanctions decisions against former senator Tkach. But he remains on the sanctions list — Meduza
Key entities
- Oleg Tkach
- Council of Federation
- Russia
- Court
- EU
- European Union
- Kaliningrad Oblast
- General Court
- Moscow
- TASS
- LNR
- DNR
- EU Council
- Donetsk