Press Review - Week of 31 July 2026

Press Review – Week of 31 July 2026

This week, the press review looks at TotalEnergies’ appeal against the ruling on the duty of vigilance, the removal of International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor, as well as the request by the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) to bring BNP Paribas and Omar Bongo’s children to trial. It also covers the press release issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) setting the hearing date in the proceedings concerning the 2025 AFCON final, as well as the claim brought by Mikhaïl Fridman against the Netherlands under an investment treaty. Finally, it covers the export restrictions imposed by China on 14 European entities.

#Duty of Vigilance & Human Rights

Duty of vigilance: TotalEnergies appeals against the integration of its customers’ emissions

Following deliberation by its Board of Directors, TotalEnergies announced on 27 July 2026 that it is appealing the ruling of 25 June, by which the Paris Judicial Court had ordered the company to take into account the CO2 emissions of its customers in its vigilance plan. In a press release, TotalEnergies argues that it has no influence over its customers’ actions and that this area does not fall within the scope of the French Duty of Vigilance law, relying on the opinion of the public prosecutor’s office, which had not been followed by the court. As the court’s injunction was accompanied by provisional enforcement, the appeal does not have suspensive effect, and TotalEnergies must comply with it immediately. > Read the article.

#Litigation and International investigation

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan dismissed

On 24 July 2026, the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC), convened in special session, decided to remove Karim Khan from office. The decision was taken by a majority of 82 votes out of the 125 member states. The former ICC Prosecutor was accused of serious misconduct and serious breach of duty, following allegations of sexual misconduct involving a person under his hierarchical authority. Karim Khan, who had been elected in 2021 for a nine-year term, had taken leave of absence whilst the external investigation was ongoing and had been suspended by the Assembly Bureau in June 2026. > Read the article.

Ill-gotten gains: the French PNF requests that BNP Paribas and Omar Bongo’s children be referred to trial

According to AFP, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (Parquet National Financier, PNF) has requested that 23 individuals and legal entities be referred to the criminal court as part of an investigation into ill-gotten gains in France. Among others, the PNF is seeking the referral of children and relatives of the former Gabonese president Omar Bongo, as well as the bank BNP Paribas, for aggravated money laundering. According to the PNF’s investigation, around fifty seized properties had been acquired using illicit commissions stemming from corruption offences and the misappropriation of public funds, within the framework of the so-called “Françafrique” networks and the “Elf affair” in the 1990s. > Read the article.

#Arbitration and Mediation

The Court of Arbitration for Sport sets the hearing date in the case concerning the 2025 AFCON final

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has scheduled the hearing regarding the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) for 8 October 2026, at CAS headquarters in Lausanne. Filed on 25 March 2026, the appeal challenges CAF’s decision to declare Senegal as having forfeited the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final and to award Morocco a 3-0 victory. The FSF is seeking the annulment of this decision and recognition as the winner of the competition. As no agreement was reached on an expedited procedure, the case will follow the CAS’s ordinary timetable. The hearing will be held behind closed doors, and no decision is expected immediately after its conclusion. > Read press release.

Fridman pursues treaty claim against the Netherlands

Russian-Israeli billionaire Mikhail Fridman has initiated an investment arbitration claim against the Netherlands under the 1989 Bilateral Investment Treaty between the Netherlands and the USSR. He alleges that the Dutch authorities harmed his investments by enforcing the sanctions adopted by the European Union following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mikhail Fridman is seeking compensation equivalent to the fair market value of his assets, in an amount that could exceed €1 billion. The proceedings, administered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), are being conducted under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) designated as the seat of arbitration. This case adds to the arbitration proceedings already brought by Mikhail Fridman against Luxembourg and the United Kingdom on similar grounds. > Read the article.

#Export control & International sanctions

China Imposes Export Restrictions on 14 EU Entities

On 24 July 2026, China announced it had added 14 European entities to its export control list. Chinese companies are now prohibited from exporting dual civilian and military use goods to these EU entities. This move is a retaliation against the new package of sanctions adopted by the EU against Russia on 23 July, which notably targeted Chinese entities over their alleged support for Russia’s war effort. The entities targeted by China include several major companies from Italy, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Germany. The export ban on dual-use goods also applies to third parties who might supply these EU entities with dual-use goods originating from China. > Read the article.