High Court in South Africa granting the Russian Orthodox Church permission to seize Google South Africa's assets:
The legal issue began when Google LLC, the Russian subsidiary of Google, shut down the YouTube channel of the Russian Orthodox Church's media company, Spas, after Google ceased its operations in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. A Moscow court ruled in favor of Spas, ordering Google to reinstate the channel and pay a daily penalty for non-compliance. When Google did not comply, Spas sought to enforce the judgment in South Africa.
The High Court in Johannesburg approved the request, leading to the judicial attachment of Google South Africa's assets. This means that while the assets are not physically seized, they are frozen to ensure that funds will be available if the Russian Orthodox Church wins its case.
