Sayenko Kharenko has assisted the Allard Pierson Museum in the 'Scythian Gold' case by preparing an expert report on Ukrainian law.
According to Sayenko Kharenko, "on October 26, 2021, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled that the Allard Pierson Museum had to hand over a collection of artifacts, known as the 'Scythian Gold', to Ukraine. The collection was being exhibited at the Allard Pierson Museum at the time when the Russian Federation occupied Crimea."
According to the firm, "the key questions of Ukrainian law for the legal position of the Allard Pierson Museum were as follows: whether the Allard Pierson Museum had validly suspended the performance of its obligations under the contracts concluded with Crimean museums; whether the Allard Pierson Museum was liable in this situation; whether there were grounds for terminating the contracts concluded between the Allard Pierson Museum and the Crimean museums or for establishing that the obligations of the Allard Pierson Museum under said contracts were impossible to perform. On April 16, 2019, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal issued an interim judgment in the case confirming that the position of the Allard Pierson Museum on the suspension of performance of its contractual obligations to the Crimean museums had been correct."
According to the firm, "in a final judgment on October 26, 2021, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal also confirmed that the contractual obligations of the Allard Pierson Museum to the Crimean museums could not be performed and, therefore, that the Allard Pierson Museum should not return the 'Crimean Treasures' to the Crimean museums." In its interim and final judgments, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal referred, inter alia, to an expert report on Ukrainian law prepared by Sayenko Kharenko.
Sayenko Kharenko’s team was led by Partner Olexander Droug and included Associate Alina Danyleiko and Special Advisor Tatyana Slipachuk.
