Brave judge from London: Individual freedom takes precedence over reasons of state

On July 29, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom issued a spectacular ruling rejecting the appeal of British citizen Evgeny Shvidler. Shvidler had filed a lawsuit against the UK government challenging the sanctions imposed on him. Born in Russia and now residing in the United States, Shvidler was accused of having both personal and business ties to the sanctioned Russian-Israeli businessman Roman Abramovich. Until March 2022, Shvidler was a long-time manager and partner in various companies controlled by Abramovich, including the raw materials group Evraz.

The court argued that Shvidler had not made sufficient use of his personal relationship with Abramovich. Since Abramovich was said to have influence over the Russian administration—particularly President Putin—Shvidler could have urged Abramovich to use this influence to stop the aggression against Ukraine.

Shvidler’s appeal was rejected by four of the five judges. One member of the panel supported lifting the sanctions but remained in the minority.