Questione giuridica chiave
Whether the Russian mutual assistance request had to be refused under Art. 2 EIMP / Art. 2 CEEJ because the prosecution was politically and discriminatorily motivated.
Decisione estratta
Yes. The Court found a serious, objective indication that the Russian proceedings were instrumentalized against oligarchs and political adversaries, so assistance had to be refused.
Motivazione estratta
Despite repeated requests for clarification, the Russian authorities did not dispel doubts about the nature of the proceedings. The political context, Council of Europe criticism, and human-rights concerns reinforced the conclusion that the prosecution was not a normal criminal case.