Russia challenges US court's decision to continue proceedings with ex-Yukos shareholders

WASHINGTON, July 12. /TASS/. Russia has filed an appeal against a court ruling in Washington, which earlier refused to terminate the proceedings, in which a firm associated with ex-Yukos shareholders is trying to recover about $5 billion from Russia, said a notice of appeal that appeared in the electronic database of the court.

As follows from the document, Russia "appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from the Court's Order and Memorandum Opinion entered on June 11, 2025, denying Respondent's Motion to Dismiss on grounds of sovereign immunity."

The ruling was issued by the Federal Court of the Metropolitan District of Columbia. It refused to satisfy Russian requests to terminate or suspend the proceedings filed between December 2023 and April of this year. Russia, in particular, insisted that the proceedings should be discontinued, since the District of Columbia Court does not have jurisdiction to consider it.

Among the arguments, it was noted that the conduct of this proceeding is contrary to the laws of the Russian Federation, as well as the fact that Russia cannot properly receive documents related to the case. Also, it was emphasized that the proceedings did not make sense, since the US Supreme Court had not yet ruled on a number of other cases concerning, in particular, the immunity of states from prosecution. The District Court considered all the arguments insufficient.

The proceedings were initiated on the basis of a lawsuit filed in 2022 by Yukos Capital, which, according to court documents, was formerly part of Yukos. The company refers to the fact that in 2021, an international arbitration court ruled that Russia should pay it damages in the amount of about $5 billion. The company is asking the court in the District of Columbia to enforce the arbitration award.

In 2014, the international arbitration court, created through the mediation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, ordered Russia to pay $50 billion to several companies associated with former Yukos shareholders. Russia will appeal this decision in Dutch courts, while the ex-Yukos shareholders are attempting to recover $50 billion from Russia, as well as interest for another $10 billion in the courts of the United Kingdom and the United States.