Press material

Monday, 22 December 2025

22/12/2025 12:20 | Press release |

Human rights violations in Russia: EU imposes sanctions on two additional individuals

Today, the Council imposed restrictive measures on two persons responsible for serious violations of human rights, the repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and the undermining of democracy and the rule of law in Russia.

The individuals in question are members of the judiciary: Dmitry Gordeev and Lyudmila Balandina.

Dmitry Gordeev is a judge of the Moscow City Court who has repeatedly issued politically motivated rulings against opposition figures and human rights defenders. Gordeev has shown systematic disregard for fundamental standards of impartial justice by, among other things, routinely refusing to examine exculpatory evidence and consistently accepting unverified or copied police reports from his former colleagues, revealing bias, conflict of interest and a lack of judicial independence.

Lyudmila Balandina is a prosecutor who has played a key role in several high-profile cases characterised by serious violations of human rights and the repression of individuals critical of the Russian authorities or supportive of Ukraine. Balandina has systematically abused her position as a state prosecutor to pursue politically motivated charges, employing ideological rhetoric aligned with Kremlin propaganda and seeking excessive punishments for peaceful acts of expression.

Through their repeated actions, the two members of the Russian judiciary have contributed to the repression of civil society, the silencing of dissent, and attempts to legitimise state narratives that equate criticism of the Russian government or support for Ukraine with extremism or terrorism.

The individuals designated today are subject to an asset freeze and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them. They are also subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territories.

The EU remains unwavering in its condemnation of human rights violations and repression in Russia, and is deeply concerned about the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in the country, especially in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU.

Background

In March 2024, in response to accelerating and systematic repression in the country, the Council established a new framework for restrictive measures against those responsible for serious human rights violations or abuses, repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and undermining of democracy and the rule of law in Russia.

The regime allows the EU to also target those who provide support for or are involved in human rights violations in Russia. It also covers restrictions on exports of equipment which might be used for internal repression or the monitoring or interception of telecommunications.

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● Council of the EU

22/12/2025 10:58 | Press release |

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: Council extends economic sanctions for a further 6 months

Today the Council renewed the EU restrictive measures in view of the Russian Federation’s continuing actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine for a further 6 months, until 31 July 2026.

These economic measures, first introduced in 2014, were significantly expanded since February 2022 in response to Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified and illegal military aggression against Ukraine.

They currently consist of a broad spectrum of sectoral measures, including restrictions on trade, finance, energy, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods. They also cover: a ban on the import or transfer of seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU, a de-SWIFTing of several Russian banks and the suspension of the broadcasting activities and licenses in the European Union of several Kremlin-backed disinformation outlets. Additionally, specific measures enable the EU to counter sanctions circumvention.

As long as the illegal actions by the Russian Federation continue to violate fundamental rules of international law, including, in particular, the prohibition on the use of force, it is appropriate to maintain in force all the measures imposed by the EU and to take additional measures, if necessary.

Background

On 31 July 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine.

In addition to the economic sanctions on the Russian Federation, the EU has in place different types of measures in response to Russia’s destabilising actions against Ukraine. These include: restrictions on economic relations with the illegally annexed Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as well as the non-government controlled areas of Ukraine in the oblasts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia; individual restrictive measures (asset freezes and travel restrictions) on a broad range of individuals and entities, and diplomatic measures.

Since 24 February 2022, the EU has adopted 17unprecedented and hard-hitting packages of sanctions in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In its conclusions of 19 December 2024, the European Council reiterated its resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter, and reaffirmed its continued support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The European Council also reconfirmed the EU’s unwavering commitment to providing continued political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed. Russia must not prevail.

The European Council reaffirmed its support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, in line with the key principles and objectives of Ukraine’s Peace Formula, and underlined the principle that no initiative regarding Ukraine be taken without Ukraine. To this end, the EU and its member states will maintain their intensive global outreach efforts and will participate in the discussions affecting Europe’s security.

The European Union remains ready to step up pressure on Russia, including by adopting further sanctions.

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● General Secretariat of the Council