EU sanctions Russian judge, prosecutor for undermining democracy, rule of law

On December 22, the European Council imposed sanctions on two members of the Russian judiciary for undermining democracy and the rule of law.

The measures target Moscow City Court judge Dmitry Gordeev and prosecutor Lyudmila Balandina, Caliber.Az reports, citing the official website of the EU Council.

According to the Council, Gordeev repeatedly issued politically motivated decisions against opposition figures and human rights defenders.

“Gordeev has shown systematic disregard for fundamental standards of impartial justice by, among other things, routinely refusing to examine exculpatory evidence and consistently accepting unverified or copied police reports from his former colleagues, revealing bias, conflict of interest and a lack of judicial independence,” the statement read.

The Council stated that Balandina played a key role in several high-profile cases marked by serious human rights violations and repression of individuals critical of the Russian government or supportive of Ukraine.

Assets of the sanctioned individuals in the EU are subject to freezing, and EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing them with financial resources. They are also banned from entering or transiting through the EU.

In March 2024, in response to the accelerated and systematic nature of repression in Russia, the EU Council established a new framework for restrictive measures against individuals responsible for serious human rights violations, abuses against civil society and the democratic opposition, and undermining democracy and the rule of law.

By Jeyhun Aghazada