Mikhail Fridman Is Off the EU Sanctions List. The Legal Battle Behind the Decision

The European Union has removed billionaire businessman Mikhail Fridman from its Russia-related sanctions list, ending more than four years of restrictions.

The decision follows a long legal dispute over the evidence used to justify his designation — a case that reached both the EU General Court and the Court of Justice.

Fridman was originally sanctioned in February 2022. The European Council argued that he had benefited from and supported Russian decision-makers and policies concerning Ukraine.

But in April 2024, the EU General Court annulled the measures challenged by Fridman for the period from February 28, 2022 to March 15, 2023. The court’s ruling focused on whether the evidence established the specific legal criteria required for sanctions, rather than simply demonstrating Fridman’s prominence or connections.

The Council’s position was subsequently challenged on appeal in Case C-441/24 P. In October 2025, Advocate General Andrea Biondi issued an opinion recommending dismissal of the appeal. The opinion was not binding on the Court of Justice.

Against this background, the International Sanctions Delisting Commission (ISDC) published its independent review of the Fridman case on September 11, 2026, examining the evidentiary record and the legal history of the designation.

On September 22, the EU formally deleted Fridman’s name from the sanctions list in Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2161. The same decision also removed several other individuals, including Alisher Usmanov.

The EU’s decision does not erase the earlier litigation. Nor does it establish that every aspect of the original designation was unlawful. But the chronology is significant: the evidentiary basis of Fridman’s sanctions was tested in court, subjected to further judicial review, independently examined, and ultimately followed by his removal from the EU list.