The administrative court has issued another interim ruling upholding a 2022 cabinet decision to revoke the Cypriot citizenship of people included on an EU sanctions list concerning Ukraine, the attorney-general’s office said on Monday.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in 2022 the cabinet – acting on EU Regulation 2022/581 – decided to strip a number of people of their Cypriot citizenship.

These persons were included on an EU sanctions list, in turn based on the EU regulation “concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”

The affected people had obtained Cypriot passports under the now-defunct citizenship-by-investment programme.

They challenged the cabinet decision at the administrative court.

The plaintiffs were seeking to secure an interim ruling that would put on hold the revocation of their citizenship until the substance of the case is heard.

Delivering its interim ruling, the administrative court last week upheld the cabinet decision, judging that it “did not constitute a manifest violation of the law” by the Republic of Cyprus.

It also found that the cabinet decision did not cause the plaintiffs “irreparable harm”.

The hearings at the administrative court will now proceed to the substance of the case.

In a separate case in February of this year, the administrative court had issued a similar ruling regarding four plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs in that case were a man who had obtained Cypriot citizenship, plus his wife and two children.

To date, the European Union has sanctioned over 2,500 individuals and entities “in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”

Other than being subject to an asset freeze, sanctioned individuals are additionally subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering into or transiting through the territories of EU member states.