EU court overturns 2024 and 2025 sanctions decisions against former Russian senator Oleg Tkach (but he remains on the sanctions list)

The European Union's General Court has overturned the Council of the EU's decisions from September 2024 and September 2025 that maintained former Russian senator Oleg Tkach on the sanctions list. Initially sanctioned by the EU in March 2022 for voting to ratify a treaty supporting the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Tkach's continued presence on the list was deemed unjustified by the court.

The court ruled that Tkach's political disengagement, including not seeking reelection in 2022 and obtaining citizenship in other countries, disqualified him from holding political office in Russia. Furthermore, the court found that Tkach's failure to publicly condemn the invasion of Ukraine did not equate to support, especially given the suppression of anti-war views in Russia.

The Council's argument that Tkach still held influence over the publishing company Olma Media Group was rejected due to the lack of evidence regarding his specific role in the company. Moreover, the court noted that VEB.RF and Sberbank controlled 75% of Olma Media Group since 2021. Consequently, the court concluded that the grounds provided by the EU Council were insufficient to keep Tkach on the sanctions list.

Tkach remains subject to EU sanctions under a March 14, 2026, decision but has filed a lawsuit to challenge this extension.