A British Virgin Islands court has refused to grant offshore law firm Ogier permission to withdraw from its representation of sanctioned Russian financial institution JSC VTB Bank, saying, “even pariahs have rights.”

Justice Adrian Jack of the British Virgin Islands Commercial Court said the firm would not be obligated to take the bank on as a new client but once into the litigation, Ogier is “obliged to continue to represent VTB to the best of their skill and ability.”