An art gallery where Princess Eugenie serves as a director has been cleared of breaching Russian sanctions. Hauser & Wirth, along with a shipping company, faced charges related to the sale of a painting, "Escape from Humanity" by George Condo, to a buyer identified as Alexander Popov.
Prosecutors alleged that Mr. Popov was a Russian resident at the time of the sale, which occurred between April 14 and December 31, 2022, and that the transaction violated UK sanctions on luxury goods. The regulation, introduced in April 2022, prohibits the supply, delivery, or making available of luxury items to Russia.
However, Judge Tony Baumgardner at Southwark Crown Court quashed the two criminal charges. He ruled that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence that Mr. Popov was a Russian resident when the artwork was made available to him. This decision ends a prosecution that reportedly stemmed from an HM Revenue and Customs investigation.
Princess Eugenie, a director at Hauser & Wirth since 2015, was not accused of any wrongdoing in the case. The defense team for Hauser & Wirth argued that the case might not have proceeded if a delivery company had not mistakenly listed a Moscow address instead of Armenia. They presented evidence that Mr. Popov had renounced his Russian citizenship and acquired property in Bosnia and Armenia, suggesting he was distancing himself from Russia.
Conversely, the prosecution contended that Mr. Popov and his wife were described as collectors based in Russia with a foundation in Moscow. They pointed to his Russian citizenship, property ownership, and business interests in Russia.
In his ruling, Judge Baumgardner acknowledged that Mr. Popov had been distancing himself from Russia. He concluded that while the artwork was made available to Mr. Popov, the prosecution could not prove he was a person connected with Russia, a failure he deemed fatal to all charges.