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Rosneft devising legal strategy to fight Western sanctions in European courts

Rosneft hired London-based Zaiwalla & Co, the firm which successfully represented Mellat, one of Iran's largest banks, in two big European court cases last year

NEW YORK, October 14. /TASS/. Russian oil giant Rosneft is devising a legal strategy to fight Western sanctions in European courts, the Wall Street Journal said on Monday, citing people familiar with the strategy used also by the so-far successful legal campaign waged by Iran's Bank Mellat.

As a starting point, Rosneft hired London-based Zaiwalla & Co, the firm which successfully represented Mellat, one of Iran's largest banks, in two big European court cases last year.

The US and the European Union have imposed a series of sanctions on Iran, Iranian individuals and Iranian companies, alleging they aided Tehran's efforts to build nuclear-weapons capabilities, among other things. Tehran has long maintained its nuclear program is peaceful, the Wall Street Journal wrote.

Russian firms, including Rosneft, are now also feeling the effects of tightening Western sanctions aimed at softening President Vladimir Putin's stance on Ukraine, the US daily said.