After Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union imposed sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Some of the billionaires are now fighting back and taking legal action against it. Among them is ex-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Oligarchs and companies from Russia and Belarus are defending themselves against EU sanctions with complaints to the European Court of Justice. The “Bild” newspaper reported that 61 lawsuits from sanctioned persons and companies are currently pending in Luxembourg.
For example, according to documents available on the court’s website, the two oligarchs Grigory Bereskin and Gennady Timchenko are demanding compensation for allegedly “immaterial damage”. Bereskin claims that he has “severely damaged his reputation” and has no connection with the events in Ukraine. Nor does he support the government of the Russian Federation. He apparently symbolically demands one euro as compensation for the immaterial damage.
Timchenko, who lives in Switzerland and played ice hockey with Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin, wants one million euros in damages from the EU. In his lawsuit, he accuses the EU of making an obvious error in its assessment of “the relationship between the plaintiff and President Putin.” In addition, he cites as further grounds for action, among other things, the “violation of the right to effective judicial protection and the obligation to state reasons” and a “violation of the principle of proportionality and of fundamental rights”.
According to court documents, the list of plaintiffs in Luxembourg includes other oligarchs known in the West, including the ex-owner of the English football club Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich, and Mikhail Fridman, founder and manager of the large financial group Alfa-Group. Like Timchenko, Abramovich is demanding one million euros “as compensation for the non-material damage that has occurred.” In the event of a conviction by the EU, the sum is to go to a charitable foundation to be set up as part of the sale of Chelsea FC for the benefit of war victims.
The oligarch Alisher Usmanow, who is well-known in Germany, also complained. A large-scale raid by investigative and tax authorities caused a sensation in his adopted Bavarian home of Rottach-Egern. Usmanov had tried to be removed from the EU sanctions list by emergency decision. But the president of the competent court of the European Union refused.
