Ilan Shor's lawyers have challenged at the Chișinău Court of Appeal – Central office – the decision of the first instance court in the case in which the fugitive oligarch requests to be removed from the national sanctions list. The request was filed against the Interinstitutional Supervisory Council (ISC) under the Government of the Republic of Moldova, which, on December 27, 2023, aligned with international restrictive measures imposed against Shor. The measure involves the freezing of his funds and economic resources, as well as a ban on entering and transiting the country.

Shor's defense argued that the ISC is not a body with material competence to decide on Moldova’s alignment with international restrictive measures imposed through unilateral decisions by other states, since such alignment can only be decided by the Government.

“(...) The alignment with international restrictive measures imposed by foreign states on the claimant could only be carried out through a Government decision published in the Official Gazette. In the absence of such a decision, the claimant cannot be considered subject to restrictions, within the meaning of Law no. 25/2016, and ISC Decision no. 1 of December 27, 2023, was adopted arbitrarily, exceeding the legal competence,” the defense argued.

The case was judged in the absence of Ilan Shor’s representatives, as both lawyers failed to appear and requested a postponement of the February 3, 2025 hearing. This followed previous delays — first on August 5, 2024, and then on October 17. The court rejected the request as abusive (being the third one) and decided to examine the case in the lawyers’ absence.

In the proceedings, the Government stated that, according to its functional attributions, the ISC is “empowered to adopt acts implementing international restrictive measures, including deciding on Moldova’s adoption of such measures on its own initiative or alignment with international restrictive measures imposed by unilateral decisions of other states, under art. 11 para. (5) letter a) of Law no. 25/2016.”

After reviewing the parties’ arguments, the first instance court rejected Ilan Shor’s request on February 3, 2025.

On December 28, 2023, ISC Decision no. 1 of December 27, 2023, was published in the Official Gazette. Thus, the Republic of Moldova officially aligned with the international restrictive measures against Ilan Shor imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

In December 2024, the General Court of the EU rejected the application for annulment of the sanctions filed by Ilan Shor and Marina Tauber. The European judges concluded that the sanctions imposed on Ilan Shor and Marina Tauber were “justified and in line with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.”

“Organizing, leading or participating in violent demonstrations or other acts of violence may justify EU action in this area. This is aimed at strengthening and supporting democracy and the rule of law in a third country,” the Court stated in a press release.

Shor and Tauber were sanctioned in 2023 for destabilizing actions. More specifically, according to the EU decision, they are accused of “organizing violent anti-government protests.”

The sanctions remain in force until April 29, 2025. The EU has ordered the freezing of their assets and banned them from entering its territory.