A US federal judge has granted a temporary stay on subpoenas issued to Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne, West Indies Oil Company Ltd. (WIOC), and others linked to an ongoing discovery matter initiated by Russian national Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov.
In a ruling issued on Monday, Judge Jesse M. Furman of the Southern District of New York confirmed that the subpoenas will not be enforced while motions to quash them are being considered. The stay applies to both Browne and the group identified as the “Antiguan Movants,” as well as to WIOC, a non-party in the case.
Guryeva-Motlokhov is seeking access to documents and information under 28 U.S.C. § 1782, a statute that allows individuals to obtain evidence in the United States for use in foreign legal proceedings. The subpoenas have prompted legal resistance from both the Antiguan officials and WIOC.
Judge Furman stated that the stay was necessary because complying with the subpoenas could undermine the pending motions to quash. The applicant, Guryeva-Motlokhov, has until 21 April to file a written opposition—limited to four pages—if she believes the stay should be lifted.
The court also directed that one consolidated legal brief be filed in opposition to both motions to quash.
An earlier clerical error that misattributed the briefing schedule to the wrong party has been corrected by the court.
The case has drawn international interest due to the involvement of Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister and the country’s state-influenced oil company, both of whom now await the court’s decision on whether the subpoenas will be permanently set aside.
