EU court upholds sanctions on Putin's businessman friend over Crimea

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) and businessman Arkady Rotenberg (L) visits the site of the construction of a bridge across the Kerch Strait in Kerch, Crimea, September 15, 2016. Sputnik/Kremlin/Alexei Druzhinin via REUTERS

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - An EU court on Wednesday upheld sanctions imposed on Arkady Rotenberg, a close ally and former judo partner of Russian President Vladimir Putin whose company won a contract to build a bridge linking the Russian mainland with annexed Crimea.

Rotenberg had appealed against the asset freeze and travel ban the EU imposed on him as part of a package of sanctions against more than 150 officials, military personnel and Putin associates to protest against Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.