1. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Belarus – Decision to freeze funds – Judicial review of legality – Scope – Provision of general scope concerning an individual restrictive measure – Inclusion by way of the objection of illegality – Natural or legal persons, entities or bodies benefitting from or supporting the Lukashenko regime – Meaning

(Art. 21(2)(b), TEU; Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2021/1002, recitals 1 to 5, 8 and Art. 4(1); Council Regulation No 765/2006, Art. 2(5))

(see paragraphs 25, 45, 47-54)

2. 

EU law – Principles – Duty to act within a reasonable time – Administrative procedure – Assessment that must be made in concreto – Criteria for assessment – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Inclusion of the applicant on the list annexed to the contested decision on account of his capacity as a prominent businessperson operating in Belarus – Time-frame for filing a request for reconsideration not fixed by a provision of EU law – Shortness of the time-frame indicated in the notice published in the Official Journal – No infringement of the right to be heard

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 41(1) and 47; Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2022/307; Council Regulation 2022/300)

(see paragraphs 31-36, 40)

3. 

European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities having regard to the situation in Belarus – Scope of the review – Proof that the measure is well founded – Obligation on the competent EU authority to establish, in the event of challenge, that the reasons relied on against the persons or entities concerned are well founded – Inclusion on the lists based on a specific, precise and consistent set of indicia

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1002 and (CFSP) 2022/307; Council Regulations No 765/2006, No 2021/997 and No 2022/300)

(see paragraphs 59-62)

4. 

European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Scope of the review – Piece of evidence submitted as exculpatory evidence by the person subject to the restrictive measures – Included

(Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1002 and (CFSP) 2022/307; Council Regulations No 765/2006, No 2021/997 and No 2022/300)

(see paragraph 63)

5. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Natural or legal persons, entities or bodies benefitting from or supporting the Lukashenko regime – Prominent businesspersons operating in Belarus – Meaning – Assessment of the facts and verification of the evidence

(Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1002 and (CFSP) 2022/307; Council Regulations No 765/2006, No 2021/997 and No 2022/300)

(see paragraphs 75, 79, 83-89, 94, 97, 98)

6. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Natural or legal persons, entities or bodies benefitting from or supporting the Lukashenko regime – Personal relationship with President Lukashenko – Meaning – Assessment of the facts and verification of the evidence

(Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1002 and (CFSP) 2022/307; Council Regulations No 765/2006, No 2021/997 and No 2022/300)

(see paragraphs 104, 107, 110)

7. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Criteria for adopting restrictive measures – Natural or legal persons, entities or bodies benefitting from or supporting the Lukashenko regime – Meaning – No error of assessment

(Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1002 and (CFSP) 2022/307; Council Regulations No 765/2006, No 2021/997 and No 2022/300)

(see paragraphs 111-115, 128, 129, 132, 136-140)

8. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Scope – Natural or legal persons, entities or bodies benefitting from or supporting the Lukashenko regime – Meaning – Persons who have committed those acts in the past, notwithstanding the lack of evidence establishing current involvement or participation in such acts – Included – Interpretation borne out by the possibility of extending restrictive measures – Effectiveness

(Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1002 and (CFSP)2022/307, Arts 8 and 8a(4); Council Regulations No 765/2006, No 2021/997 and No 2022/300)

(see paragraphs 144, 145)

9. 

European Union – Judicial review of the legality of the acts of the institutions – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities having regard to the situation in Belarus – Scope of the review – Measures capable of being supported by some grounds and not others – Validity of those measures

(Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1002 and (CFSP) 2022/307; Council Regulations No 765/2006, No 2021/997 and No 2022/300)

(see paragraph 146)

10. 

Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures against Belarus – Freezing of funds of certain persons and entities having regard to the situation in Belarus – Restriction on the right to property and the freedom to conduct a business and damage to reputation – No breach of principle of proportionality

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 15, 16, 17 and 52(1); Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, as amended by Decisions (CFSP) 2021/1002 and (CFSP) 2022/307, Arts 3(1) and (6), 4(1), and 8; Council Regulations No 765/2006, Arts 2(5), 3 and 8a(4), No 2021/997 and No 2022/300)

(see paragraphs 153-165)

1. 

Dismisses the action;

2. 

Orders Mr Mikail Safarbekovich Gutseriev to bear his own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union.