62024TJ0608_INF
Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 26 November 2025 –Bazhaev v Council
(Case T‑608/24)
(Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine – Freezing of funds – List of persons, entities and bodies subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources – Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the list – Article 2(1)(g) of Decision 2014/145/CFSP – Concept of ‘association’ – Error of assessment – Right to property – Presumption of innocence – Proportionality)
1.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Scope of the review – Proof that the measure is well founded – Obligation on the competent EU authority to establish, in the event of challenge, that the reasons relied on against the persons or entities concerned are well founded – Inclusion on the lists based on a specific, precise and consistent body of evidence – Error of assessment – No such error
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2024/2456 and (CFSP) 2025/528, Annex; Council Regulations No 269/2014, Annex I, 2024/2455 and 2025/527)
(see paragraphs 21-23, 43, 47, 62)
2.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Scope of the review – Inclusion of the applicant on the list annexed to the contested decision by virtue of his or her status as a person, entity or body associated with a person included on the list annexed to the contested decision – Documents available to the public – Principle of the unfettered evaluation of evidence
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2024/2456 and (CFSP) 2025/528, Annex; Council Regulations No 269/2014, 2024/2455 and 2025/527)
(see paragraphs 24-26)
3.
European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Scope of the review – Proof that the measure is well founded – Obligation on the competent EU authority to establish, in the event of challenge, that the reasons relied on against the persons or entities concerned are well founded – Breadth of the discretion of that competent authority – Relevance of evidence produced on the basis of a previous inclusion where there are no amendments to the grounds for inclusion or changes in the applicant’s situation or in the context in Ukraine – Changes in the applicant’s situation – No such changes
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2024/2456 and (CFSP) 2025/528, Annex; Council Regulations No 269/2014, Annex I, 2024/2455 and 2025/527)
(see paragraphs 27, 28, 45, 46)
4.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Person, entity or body associated with a person included on the list annexed to the contested decision – Concept of association – Common interests – Interests arising solely in a professional context – Included
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2022/329, Art. 2(1); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 3(1) and 2022/330)
(see paragraphs 38-40, 52-61)
5.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Person, entity or body associated with a person included on the list annexed to the contested decision – Compliance with the principle of legal certainty requiring clarity, precision and foreseeability of the effects of legal rules
(Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2022/329, Art. 2(1); Council Regulations No 269/2014, Art. 3(1) and 2022/330)
(see paragraphs 49, 50)
6.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Ukraine – Restriction of the right to property – Whether permissible – Conditions – Restriction laid down by law – Respect for the essence of the right invoked – Pursuit of an objective of general interest recognised as such by the European Union – Observance of the principle of proportionality – Conditions met
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 17 and 52(1); Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2024/2456 and (CFSP) 2025/528, Annex; Council Regulations No 269/2014, Annex I, 2024/2455 and 2025/527)
(see paragraphs 70-84)
7.
Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures adopted in view of the situation in Ukraine – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Ukraine – Infringement of the presumption of innocence – No infringement
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 48(1) and 52(1); Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2024/2456 and (CFSP) 2025/528, Annex; Council Regulations No 269/2014, Annex I, 2024/2455 and 2025/527)
(see paragraph 85)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Mr Musa Yusopovich Bazhaev to bear his own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union.