The EU Court nullified sanctions against Belshina
March 20, 2024
The Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg overturned the decision on sanctions against Belshina, which were introduced in December 2021 due to the situation in Belarus. The decision was published on the court’s website on Wednesday, March 20th.
According to the court, the EU Council made a mistake in assessing Belshina’s support for the Belarusian regime and participation in the repression against civil society.
Justification for the court’s decision to lift sanctions against Belshina
According to the court, the EU Council failed to prove that, as one of the main state-owned companies in Belarus, Belshina represents a significant source of income for the Lukashenko regime and that the Belarusian state directly benefits from the company’s income. Thus, Belshina, referring to financial documents, argued that before being included in the sanctions list it was an unprofitable company that did not generate profits.
Furthermore, the court found insufficient evidence of Belshina’s participation in repressions against civil society. In particular, the EU Council was unable to prove that the reason for the dismissal of the company’s employees was their participation in demonstrations and strikes following the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus.
As a result, the EU Court of Justice decided to lift the company’s sanctions and ordered the EU Council to pay the costs of the legal proceedings.
Source: DW
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