EU court upholds legal service ban to Russian entities, individuals

The General Court of the European Union upheld on Wednesday its ban on the provision of legal advice to Russian entities and individuals.


The measure was first introduced in 2022 by the European Union as part of sweeping sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.


The ruling came after the Dutch bar association of Brussels, the Paris bar and others had asked for the measure to be annulled.


"The prohibition thus applies only to legal advice that has no link with judicial proceedings. The General Court adds that legal advice provided to natural persons, in particular, does not fall within the scope of the prohibition." the Court said in a statement.