"Judges Fear Ruling Against the NSDC", – Dmytro Razumkov

Ukrainian Court Overturns Sanctions: More Verdicts Likely, Says Former NSDC Member According to the data from Ukraine’s judicial registry, precedents for overturning National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) sanctions in court already exist — and more are expected to follow. That’s according to former Parliament Speaker and former NSDC member Dmytro Razumkov, who commented to RBC-Ukraine. Razumkov emphasized that the ever-growing "kaleidoscope" of sanction decisions will inevitably result in a wave of rulings from the Supreme Court. At present, however, he says most judges are reluctant to make any decisions at all.

"There are many honest judges, but within the current system, they’re afraid. They know that ruling on these cases could bring not only criminal charges but also threats like the conscription of their children or other repercussions. They don’t want to issue knowingly unlawful rulings — they understand they’ll have to answer for that one day. But they’re also too afraid to rule in favor of Ukrainian citizens, fearing serious consequences. So instead, they just delay the process," Razumkov explained.

The article highlights one of the first known cases — that of French citizen Louis-Michel Duray, who worked for BNP Paribas until 2022. He won a Supreme Court case in the first instance against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, successfully challenging the sanctions imposed on him.

Another example involves the Ukrainian company "ProBike Plus" LLC. The court ruled in favor of the company, declaring the presidential decree imposing individual sanctions unlawful and striking it down.

"Later, media reported that Supreme Court judge Volodymyr Kravchuk, who also sits on the Ukrainian Council of Judges, informed the High Council of Justice that he had faced pressure from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The case in question was "ProBike Plus", in which Kravchuk served as presiding judge. After the judicial panel fully upheld the company’s claim and declared the presidential sanctions decree illegal, the SBU revoked Kravchuk’s clearance for access to state secrets. Subsequently, Supreme Court Chairman Stanislav Kravchenko issued an order terminating his access to classified information," the report says.

RBC-Ukraine notes that more than 1,500 Ukrainian citizens are currently under sanctions. Of those, two-thirds also hold Russian citizenship and left Ukraine long ago. "However, a new trend has emerged over the past year, "the article continues". Sanctions have been imposed on 135 Ukrainian citizens who do not hold dual citizenship. Since the start of the war, that number has reached 188. This means that nearly 70% of sanctions against Ukrainians without ‘backup passports’ were introduced just in the past year."

Sanctions were first used in Ukraine under President Petro Poroshenko. However, while his administration mostly targeted legal entities, the practice of sanctioning individuals expanded significantly under President Zelenskyy. Initially limited to three-year terms, sanctions now commonly last up to ten years. The restrictions affect nearly every aspect of life: sanctioned individuals lose the right to access or manage their property, operate bank accounts, hold official employment, or launch media outlets. In some cases, they’re even barred from using public transportation, including Ukraine’s state railway, "Ukrzaliznytsia".