Ukraine war - Abramovich fails with lawsuit against sanctions
The Russian oligarch and former owner of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich, has suffered a defeat at the General Court of the EU. The court declared the EU sanctions imposed on him to be lawful and dismissed his case in Luxembourg.
The EU has so far imposed sanctions on almost 2,000 individuals and organizations due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In March 2022, it froze Abramovich's assets. The reason given was that he had long-standing and close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the EU, he is active in economic sectors that serve as an important source of income for the Russian government.
Abramovich appealed against this, but without success. The Council of the European Union did not make an error of assessment when Abramovich was placed on the sanctions list, the judges have now ruled. This did not disproportionately restrict his fundamental rights, especially as it was possible to use the frozen assets to cover basic needs. His claim for damages of one million euros for damage to his reputation was also rejected.
The ruling can still be appealed before the highest European court, the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
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- The EU sanctions against Roman Abramovich, the conflicted Russian oligarch and former FC Chelsea owner, were upheld by the General Court in Luxembourg, deemed lawful in the ongoing Ukraine war context.
- The European Union has imposed sanctions on over 2,000 individuals and entities due to their alleged involvement in Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, including the freezing of Abramovich's assets in March 2022.
- Despite his appeals, the EU's Council did not err in placing Abramovich on the sanctions list, as he is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and involved in economic sectors crucial to Russia's income, as per the EU's judgment.
- Abramovich, in addition to his unsuccessful effort to overturn the EU's sanctions, also requested compensation for the alleged harm to his reputation, which was denied by the judges.
- Detractors of the decision may challenge the recent judgment in the European Court of Justice (ECJ), aiming to reconsider the sanctions placed on the wealthy oligarch in connection with the Ukraine war.
- The EU sanctions, endorsed by the General Court in Luxembourg, against Abramovich and others came as a direct result of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, orchestrated in part by Putin and his close associates.
- Roman Abramovich faced the European Union's sanction measures, rooted in the Ukraine war, as existing tensions between Russia and EU member states intensified, leading to further isolation of controversial figures like the Russian oligarch.
Source: www.stern.de
