This Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/958, dated May 20, 2025, amends Regulation (EU) 2024/1485, which concerns restrictive measures in view of the situation in Russia. The key action is the addition of 28 natural persons to the list of individuals subject to sanctions as outlined in Annex IV of the original regulation. These additions are based on the Council’s assessment of the gravity of human rights violations and repressions within Russia.
The structure of the regulation is straightforward. It consists of two articles and an annex. Article 1 states that Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2024/1485 is amended as per the annex of this new regulation. Article 2 specifies that the regulation comes into force upon its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and is binding in its entirety across all Member States. The annex provides detailed entries for each of the 28 newly sanctioned individuals, including their names, identifying information, a statement of reasons for their listing, and the date of listing. There are no previous versions mentioned in the document.
The most important provision for practical use is the annex, which lists the 28 individuals now subject to restrictive measures. Each entry includes a “Statement of Reasons” detailing why the individual is being sanctioned, typically citing their involvement in human rights violations, repression of democratic opposition, or activities undermining the rule of law in Russia. These statements provide the legal basis for the sanctions and are crucial for understanding the scope and application of the measures. **** Many of the listed individuals are judges, prosecutors, and investigators involved in the prosecution and sentencing of individuals like Alexei Navalny and others who have spoken out against the Russian government or the war in Ukraine.
