French court upholds seizure of Russian ex-minister Khristenko's Côte d'Azur villa

A Paris appeals court has confirmed the legality of seizing a Côte d'Azur villa belonging to former Russian Industry Minister Viktor Khristenko. French authorities also suspect that Khristenko and his wife, former Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, hold significant undisclosed assets in Spain and Portugal.

The Paris Court of Appeal has ruled that the seizure of a luxury villa on the Côte d'Azur, owned by former Russian Industry Minister Viktor Khristenko, was lawful, according to Le Monde, citing a judicial source. The property was frozen as part of international sanctions enforcement efforts targeting high-profile figures linked to the Russian government.

French authorities have indicated that their investigation does not stop at the French Riviera property. Officials suspect that Khristenko and his wife, former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, may hold substantial concealed assets in Spain and Portugal as well, suggesting a broader pattern of hidden wealth across multiple European jurisdictions.

Khristenko served as Russia's Minister of Industry and Energy from 2004 to 2012, while Golikova held senior government roles including Minister of Health and Social Development and Deputy Prime Minister. Both figures have been subject to Western sanctions following Russia's actions in Ukraine.

The ruling by the Paris appeals court sets a legal precedent for how French courts handle challenges to asset freezes connected to sanctioned Russian officials. It underscores the continued efforts by European governments to enforce sanctions and trace assets that may have been moved or concealed before or after restrictions were imposed.