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Belarusian MFA comments on decision by EU Court to reject Grodno Azot’s appeal

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MINSK, 8 July (BelTA) - The decision by the EU Court of Justice, which rejected the Grodno Azot and its subsidiary Khimvolokno Plant’s appeal to reconsider the EU sanctions on 3 July, although deeply disappointing, was quite predictable, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, BelTA reports.

“This decision has once again dispelled the myth about the fairness and objectivity of the European judicial system. The rule of law and the protection of democratic values in the EU are nothing more than a declaration. What about the so-called rules-based world order? Any unbiased legal expert understands that the EU sanctions regime represents a gross violation of the UN Charter and can be applied arbitrarily against any legal entity or individual,” spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ruslan Varankov said.

The ministry noted that in the case of Belarusian enterprises, being in the state ownership and paying taxes to the budget were enough to constitute “sufficient grounds” for this decision.

“Isn’t it absurd? As sanctions are being rubber-stamped and court decisions are being made, the European bureaucracy is not even trying to observe the facade of legality, including adherence to legal principles like the presumption of innocence and the requirement for sufficient evidence. Here we would like to mention that Belarusian legal entities have been banned from receiving qualified legal advice in the EU and other types of legal assistance,” said Ruslan Varankov.

He stated that the selective enforcement of legal norms in the European Union, double standards, and the lack of transparency create an atmosphere of distrust and nihilism toward the loudly proclaimed European values.

“However, it seems that finding a speck in someone else’s eye while ignoring a log in one’s own has become a favorite pastime of some of our European partners. We urge the European Union to finally abandon the harmful practice of imposing unlawful restrictive measures, which are nothing more than tools of unfair competition and political pressure,” the spokesperson added.

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