Rarely Occurs, Mother Of Russian Mercenaries Wagner Group Wins Appeal In Court And Escapes European Union Sanctions

JAKARTA - The mother of Russian mercenaries boss Yevgeny Prigozhin won legal action on Wednesday, revoking European Union sanctions against her, with the court deciding there is no evidence that she bears responsibility for her actions.

The decision to free Violetta Prigozhina (83) is a rare example of individuals who have successfully countered EU sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The European Union is known to have imposed sanctions on nearly 1,700 people and entities.

The ruling came out when his son, head of Wagner's army group, claimed new progress for his men in the brutal battle to occupy the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine.

Prigozhin became one of the most visible war faces, recruiting thousands of prisoners to fight for Wagner, fighting openly with the Ministry of Defense over the supply of ammunition.

However, the EU's second-high court said the bloc failed to provide evidence of a mother's role in her actions, and her blacklist "was solely based on their family relationship".

However, an EU spokesman said the court's decision only concerns the sanctions list from February 23 last year. Meanwhile, the September 14 decision to update the stipulation is still in effect.

Therefore, Prigozhina remains subject to asset freezes and travel bans, the spokesperson said, adding the bloc was analyzing the decision and its implications.

Asked about the decision against his mother, Prigozhin answered with irony and his distinctive disobedience.

"Unfortunately, I am on a business trip in the Donbas area," he said through his press service, hours after he was filmed in front of a tank with an explosion heard in the background.

He said his mother had been fighting for his own case, and he had no plans to oppose sanctions against him and Wagner.

"I will not challenge them and I am sure that at this time they are forced with full justification," he added.

The European Union is increasingly turning to blacklists of pairs and family members of important officials and businessmen deemed responsible for Russia's war against Ukraine, saying relatives help protect assets from sanctions to avoid penalties.

It said when Prigozhina was blacklisted, he had a business relationship with his son.

Prigozhina's appeal proves the European Union has failed, to determine the reasons for its blacklisting and impose sanctions only to suppress it.

"It cannot be legally concluded from his relationship with his son, he may have contributed to compromising Ukraine's territorial integrity," according to information explaining his lawsuit published by the Court.

"It's not convincing, of course everyone in the EU prefers to see the opposite decisions," said an EU official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the legal nature of the matter. "But we have to analyze it now and understand the justification. Maybe not everything is gone."

The official added that the EU option now is to remove the Prigozhina list, appeal against the decision or re-registered it with more evidence.