The “Shtandart” explicitly banned – the Court of Justice of the European Union puts an end to its deceptive narrative

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)has confirmed that the Russian ship Shtandart has been subject to port sanctions since 16 April 2022. With Vladimir Martus having made public the confidential correspondence received on this subject, a number of organisations and institutions that chose to ignore the texts and disregard the well-founded warnings communicated to them could find themselves in an awkward position.

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1. A series of judicial failures
2. A strategy triply harmful for the Shtandart
3. A harmful effect on the Shtandart’s supporters
4. Baseless judicial harassment
5. The position of No Shtandart in Europe
6. Conclusion

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To the attention of the organisers of the 2025 Tall Ships Races:
Le Havre, Dunkirk, Aberdeen, Kristiansand, Esbjerg

Copy: 

• Maritime authorities of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark 
• Media in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark

Re: The “Shtandart” explicitly banned – the Court of Justice of the European Union puts an end to its deceptive narrative

7 September 2025

Dear Madam, dear Sir,

Luxembourg, 22 August 2025 – The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has formally confirmed that the Russian ship Shtandart is subject to EU sanctions and cannot enter any European port. This decision definitively ends more than a year of proceedings initiated by Mr Thierry Clerc, lawyer for Vladimir Martus, the de facto owner of the vessel, and demonstrates the deceptive and abusive nature of his legal maneuvers.

Court of Justice of the European Union, 22 August 2025 – Order in Case T-446/24

A series of judicial failures

Since the summer of 2024, Mr Thierry Clerc has filed multiple appeals in an attempt to impose the Shtandart’s presence:

• Administrative Court of Rennes: appeal dismissed (11 July 2024)
• French Council of State: appeal dismissed (18 November 2024)
• CJEU: final and unappealable dismissal (22 August 2025)

Since 2022, the No Shtandart in Europe collective has consistently pointed out that the Shtandart clearly falls under port sanctions, as confirmed by several media outlets: El Faro de Vigo, 76actu, La Croix, Ouest-France, HitWest and again Ouest-France. Article 3ea of EU Regulation No 833/2014 is straightforward and leaves no ambiguity about the application of sanctions to the vessel. This was clearly explained to Mr Thierry Clerc on 15 May 2023 and 14 November 2024.

Beyond legal failure, this was also the failure of a deliberate attempt at deception, aimed at misleading authorities, the media, and public opinion against the decision of the 27 EU Member States. This duplicity in favor of Russian interests makes Mr Thierry Clerc’s responsibility even heavier.

A strategy triply harmful for the Shtandart

The appeals lodged by Mr Clerc, Clerc & Partners, not only failed. They also proved to be triply detrimental to his client, Russian citizen Vladimir Martus:

• Financially: repeated proceedings caused considerable expenses. To fund these legal actions, the private yacht Shtandart, falsely presented as an association, has partly relied on public generosity by soliciting donations to the account of MartusTV GmbH, a commercial company registered in Germany, owned and controlled by Vladimir Martus.
• Legally: by petitioning the courts at all levels, Mr Clerc helped consolidate, as seen above, a clear and firm case law against the Shtandart.
• Media and political impact: by involving the highest judicial authorities, Mr Clerc drew media and public attention to the vessel’s attempts to circumvent EU regulations. He also contributed to exposing the similarities between the Shtandart and practices typical of the Russian “shadow fleet.”

By multiplying maneuvers and illusions, while refusing to present reality to his client, Mr Thierry Clerc effectively sealed the vessel’s fate.

A harmful effect on the Shtandart’s supporters

Mr Clerc’s actions also has serious political and institutional consequences:

• Institutional supporters of the Shtandart – including certain senior officials from French state apparatus – now find themselves in an untenable position. Their involvement will remain a stain against the rule of law.
• Complicit associations – such as Les Amis des Grands Voiliers – Sail Training Association France and Sail Training International in the UK (see letter below)  – are discredited for having publicly sided against European regulations, in favor of a Russian vessel explicitly banned.
• The municipality and port authority of La Rochelle are directly implicated by the CJEU’s order, due to their role in hosting and supporting the Shtandart after the European Council ratified the 5th package of sanctions adopted following the Bucha massacre. Their support for Russian interests places them in a position contrary to European law.

Baseless judicial harassment

Alongside his appeals, Mr Clerc has repeatedly threatened and taken legal action against the No Shtandart in Europe collective.

In light of the CJEU’s decision, this harassment appears for what it is: abusive, without legal basis, and contrary to the professional ethics of lawyers.

It is an attempt at intimidation aimed at silencing those defending compliance with European law.

The position of No Shtandart in Europe

The No Shtandart in Europe collective, declares:

“This decision marks the end of a legal saga built on illusions and deceptions. It validates the position we have defended from day one: the Shtandart is not a training ship, but a Russian influence tool under sanctions. From now on, no European port must remain open to it.”

Conclusion

The CJEU’s order formally ends the illusions and deceptions maintained by Mr Thierry Clerc. It shows how harmful his actions have been:

• for the vessel,
• for its institutional supporters,
• for international associations now compromised,
• for the integrity of the legal profession,
• and finally for organizations genuinely working to preserve maritime heritage, which he has weakened by associating them with a cause contrary to the rule of law.

In this context, professional sanctions should be considered against Mr Thierry Clerc, to restore trust in the legal profession and protect the rule of law.

Furthermore, the No Shtandart in Europe collective calls in particular on the Prefect of Charente-Maritime (La Rochelle), as well as on all European and national authorities, to rigorously enforce this case law in order to preserve the coherence of sanctions against Russia and safeguard the unity of European law. In this regard, given the Shtandart’s repeated violations, the only viable solution seems to be to follow the Spanish example: a ban from territorial waters.

This text is available and shareable online:

Sincerely yours,

Bernard Grua
Spokesperson

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Letter from Sail Training International asking local organisers of the Tall Ships Races to welcome the sanctioned Russian Shtandart, 25 March 2025.

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Shtandart‘s summer 2025 tour