Almost half of sanctioned Russian billionaires, chief executives and their relatives have successfully overturned Western sanctions, the RTVI broadcaster reported Friday, citing court cases and publicly available data.
Out of 88 legal challenges in the U.S., U.K., EU, Canada and Australia, 42 individuals have had sanctions lifted, while 39 cases were rejected and nine remain pending.
The EU saw the highest number of challenges, with 18 successful appeals and 27 rejections — resulting in a 37% success rate. Canada followed, with nine successful cases and seven rejections.
In the United States, six people had sanctions lifted, while two were denied. In Britain, four succeeded and three failed, while in Australia, five were successful with no recorded rejections so far.
According to RTVI, the actual number of sanctions challengers is likely higher, as some may have used aliases or different initials in legal proceedings.
Sanctioned individuals have been most successful in their legal challenges by cutting ties with Russia, proving their businesses are not based there or identifying errors in the sanctions process.
However, having sanctions lifted does not guarantee full reintegration into the global financial system, RTVI noted. Many remain at risk of being targeted in future rounds of penalties or effectively blacklisted by banks and companies.
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