F1 driver oligarch, Dad Dmitry Mazepin, fails to overturn EU sanctions
A legal challenge brought by Russian ammonia mogul Dmitry Mazepin was rejected by an EU court.
The European Union’s General Court upheld its ruling on Wednesday to keep F1 driver oligarch Dad Dmitry Mazepin, the Russian ammonia entrepreneur, subject to sanctions.
Owing to his ties to President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Mazepin—the father of former Formula 1 racer Nikita Mazepin—was subject to penalties from the EU Council after Russia invaded all of Ukraine.
F1 driver Olgarch was denied entry into the European Union and had his assets frozen. The EU court maintained the Council’s sanctions notwithstanding Dmitry Mazepin’s contestation of their validity, citing adequate evidence.
“The Council provided a proper statement of reasons for its decision,” the court said in a statement.
“The Council has adduced a set of sufficiently specific, precise, and consistent indicia capable of demonstrating that Mr. Mazepin is a leading businessperson involved in a sector providing a substantial source of revenue to the Russian Government,” the statement said.
Due to their support of the conflict, the European Council rapidly slapped sanctions on several people and companies following Moscow’s military entry into Ukraine in February 2022.
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However, certain legal rulings have faced opposition in court, demonstrating that in some instances, the accusations against the sanctioned individuals were based on weak or questionable evidence.
The main sponsor and co-owner of the Haas Formula One team in the past is the owner of the sizable fertilizer corporation Uralkali. But after the whole invasion of Ukraine, the Haas team broke up with Nikita Dmitry Mazepin, one of their two drivers, and kicked him out of the group. The European Union imposed penalties on him as well.
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In March, the General Court of the European Union temporarily suspended Nikita Mazepin’s penalties as a result of his effective contestation of the sanctions imposed upon him.
