The Amsterdam District Court issued a decision in a case that can be described as “Russia vs. the Squatters.”
The building of the trade office that the Russian Federation rented in the Netherlands was occupied by squatters. To evict them, the Russian side filed a lawsuit.
However, in the court, the squatters reminded the court about the sanctions against the Russian Federation. They argued that the current EU sanctions, in addition to restricting the movement of diplomats, mean that it is impossible to carry out work in the building without proper authorization.
The squatters stated that Russia plans to carry out major repairs and renovations to the building, which require the involvement of an architect or engineer and the obtaining of a building permit. Architects and engineers, as well as all workers who will carry out the work, are subject to the prohibition outlined in Article 5(1) of the EU Sanctions Regulation 833/2014.
“Violating the sanctions carries serious penalties, so it is likely that the contractors involved will eventually refuse to fulfill their obligations or will first request an exemption from carrying out the work or paying the bills independently,” the squatters said.
In court, the Russian side argued that they would only use their own personnel for the repairs.
Ultimately, the court decided to vacate the building from the squatters. The eviction period was set at six weeks, which, according to the squatters, is reasonable.
