Reported by Polina Ivanova

The EU’s highest court has ruled that sanctions against a Russian tech executive should be lifted, the first time it has revoked measures against a businessman sanctioned over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Alexander Shulgin, former chief executive of ecommerce platform Ozon, had joined dozens of other members of Russia’s elite in appealing against the sanctions at the European Court of Justice. 

But while at least six such appeals were formally rejected on Wednesday, the court made a rare exception in the case of Shulgin.

Court filings published on Wednesday showed Shulgin was sanctioned for participating in a meeting of business leaders and oligarchs called by President Vladimir Putin on the first day of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Shulgin argued in his appeal that this alone was not sufficient evidence. The court agreed.

Read full report: https://www.ft.com/content/7ee99900-198a-41b0-8b94-1d6b39e7b43d