Press review – Week of 13 February 2023

This week in the press review, Shell executives were accused of endangering the company’s sustainability. German authorities raided companies suspected of violating international sanctions, and the associate of a Russian oligarch is being prosecuted in the United States for sanctions evasion and money laundering. The ECHR recognized the whistleblower status for the “LuxLeaks” author, and a French policewoman is to be tried for firing at a protester with a rubber ball gun. Finally, the French Constitutional Council (Conseil constitutionnel) censured some provisions on the pre-trial detention of minors.

An environmental association takes Shell executives to court

The association ClientEarth, shareholder of the oil company Shell, filed a complaint against the company’s management accusing them of endangering the company’s sustainability and the financial interests of its shareholders by continuing to invest in fossil fuels. > Read article

German authorities raid firms suspected of violating sanctions against Russia

A supply chain of electronic components destined to Russia was investigated by Reuters press agency last December. Following this investigation, German authorities raided this week three companies for potential violations of economic sanctions. > Read article

Associate of a sanctioned Russian oligarch indicted for sanctions evasion and money laundering

The DOJ indicted the associate of a Russian oligarch under international sanctions for helping him to make payments totaling $4 million to maintain properties in the United States. > Read article

“LuxLeaks”: the ECHR recognizes Raphaël Halet as a whistleblower and condemns Luxembourg

The European Court of Human Rights recognized in a decision dated 14 February 2023 that the data leaks of which Raphaël Halet, a PWC employee, was accused are covered by his freedom of expression. In this decision, the former PWC employee was recognized as a whistleblower and Luxembourg was condemned for violating Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. > Read article

Dismissal’s invalidation of the case against a French policewoman accused of having hit a “yellow vest” protester in the eye with a rubber ball gun

The investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal rendered a decision overturning the dismissal of the case against a policewoman from the anti-crime brigade, despite the prosecutor’s demands. She had fired with a rubber ball gun at a protester and is accused of having shot him in the eye. > Read article

The French Constitutional Council censures some provisions related to minors pre-trial detention

The French Constitutional Council (Conseil constitutionnel), consulted for a constitutionality question (question prioritaire de constitutionnalité), censored last Friday some provisions of the Code of Criminal Justice for minors. These provisions enounced, notably, that the judge for freedom and detention (juge des libertés et de la detention) or the criminal court (tribunal correctionnel) could, when declaring itself incompetent in relation to a minor over 13 years of age, keep him/her in a 24-hour pre-trial detention until he/she was brought before the competent court. The Constitutional Council concluded that the best interests of children and the presumption of innocence prevailed, in this case, over the safeguarding of the public interest. > Read article