Georgias loses EU sanctions court case

The European Union’s General Court last week rejected claims for damages brought by former junior minister, Aguy Georgias, who was claiming €6 million against the bloc after he was thrown out of the United Kingdom in 2007.

At the time, Georgias was among government officials, who along with President Robert Mugabe were placed under sanctions by the European Union on allegations of ‘serious violations of human rights.’

Mugabe denies the charges, saying the sanctions are retribution for his seizure of white-owned farms to resettle landless blacks.

Georgias, who owns of Trinity Engineering and Georgiadis Trucking, was added onto the list in April 2007 after he was appointed economic development deputy minister. He was removed from the sanctions list in February 2011.

The Luxembourg-based court ruled that the EU Council did not act unlawfully in imposing restrictive measures against Georgias, rendering the European Union not liable.

On 25 May 2007, Georgias arrived at Heathrow Airport in order to visit family living in England en route New York in the United States. He was denied entry and was detained in the airport before returning to Zimbabwe the following day.

Georgias then brought a claim for damages before the EU General Court in order to obtain compensation for the damage caused by his detention at Heathrow, medical expenses incurred because of the deterioration in his state of health, legal fees and business losses suffered by his two companies.- The Source