HAUSER & WIRTH CLEARED OF RUSSIAN SANCTIONS CHARGE
6July 10, 2026
The prominent gallery Hauser & Wirth has been cleared of the charges against alleging they breached the British-imposed sanctions against Russia,Artnetreports.
The Swiss gallery, which has locations UK locations in London and Somerset, was charged by the U.K. Crown Prosecution Service last November, together with the art shipping company Artay Rauchwerger Solomons, for selling an artwork by George Condo to a buyer with connections to Russia last November. The claim was made following an investigation by the UK tax authority, HM Revenue & Customs.
Hauser & Wirth previously stated that they “strongly contest this charge” and intended to plead not guilty.
In April 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK banned the export to Russia of luxury items valued over £250 ($330), including art and antiques. Violating this law is considered a criminal offense in the UK, and is punishable by a fine for companies and up to six months in prison for individuals.
According to Artnet, prosecutors claimed that the piece by Condo, Escape from Humanity, 2021, was available for sale between April 2022 and December 2022, and that the shipping company subsequently supplied the piece between August and December 2022, thus violating the British sanctions.
On Thursday, London’s Southwark Crown Court dismissed the charge, ruling there was not sufficient evidence that the buyer was a Russian resident at the time of the sale.
“We are delighted that the court has dismissed the case against our U.K. gallery in its entirety,” a spokesperson for Hauser & Wirth told ArtReview in a statement. “From the outset, we strongly contested these proceedings and denied any wrongdoing. We continue to be fully committed to complying with all our legal obligations including with respect to sanctions. We are pleased that this matter is now closed.”