In March, Tigran Khudaverdyan, who once led Yandex N.V. as its chief executive and presided over the Yandex group, pursued a legal route against the European Union by filing a lawsuit with the Council of the European Union. The filing sought the removal of EU sanctions imposed on him, and the document detailing the case is accessible through the European Court’s website. The action marks a formal challenge to the decision-making process that led to his designation and aims to reassess the grounds used to justify the penalties in place at the time.
The action was officially filed on 7 June, with Khudaverdyan contending that the sanctions list listing him lacks solid, credible evidence and that the reasons provided do not justify the measures. He asserts that the criteria or evidence used to justify his inclusion were insufficient, calling into question the sufficiency and reliability of the basis on which the sanctions were applied. The filing emphasizes a belief that the grounds cited by the sanctioning authorities do not withstand scrutiny when weighed against the available information and legal standards.
According to the lawsuit, the sanctions infringe upon fundamental rights, including the right to property, protection of private and family life, the freedom to conduct business, and the presumption of innocence. The document frames the measures as not only restrictive but potentially prejudicial, arguing that a person’s protected rights should be respected unless a compelling, substantiated justification exists. This framing aligns with broader principles of due process and proportionality in restrictive measures, suggesting that the impact of the sanctions extends beyond the individual to touch core civil liberties and economic rights.
Khudaverdyan also claims that the European Council’s restrictive steps amount to discrimination, asserting that the measures were applied in a manner that unfairly targeted him compared to others in similar circumstances. The lawsuit presents this assertion as part of a broader argument about equal treatment under EU law, urging the reviewing authorities to consider whether the actions taken were justified, non-discriminatory, and consistent with established legal norms that govern sanctions regimes and individual accountability.
It was reported that in March Khudaverdyan stepped down from the Yandex board of directors and relinquished the role of deputy CEO, in addition to exiting positions within the company’s Dutch subsidiaries as the EU sanctions were being listed. The timing of these moves is depicted as a direct consequence of the sanctions process, reflecting a sequence of corporate and personal decisions made in response to the evolving regulatory environment. The record indicates that Khudaverdyan accepted the repercussions of the sanctions process, choosing to shift leadership roles within the corporate structure while pursuing a legal remedy through formal channels to contest the sanctions and seek remediation on the grounds outlined in the complaint.