Russian billionaire Abramovich challenges EU sanctions against him (updated)

Evraz

12/07/2023 08:46

(Adds details on the sanctions)
       MOSCOW, July 12 (Reuters) - Russian billionaire Roman
Abramovich on Wednesday will challenge European Union sanctions
imposed on him after the Ukraine war, arguing that the
restrictions were imposed simply because he is a well-known
Russian, a source familiar with the matter said. 
    After President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of
troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, the EU slapped sanctions on
Russian officials and a host of Russian businessmen while
freezing hundreds of billions of dollars of Russian assets.
        The EU in March 2022 
    described Abramovich
    , now 56, as an "oligarch who has close ties to Vladimir
Putin" including "privileged access" to the Kremlin chief,
connections the EU said had helped him maintain his assets. 
  
        Abramovich filed a challenge to the EU sanctions on May
25, 2022, and on Thursday the General Court of the Court of
Justice of the European Union will hear the challenge, a source
with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
  
        His lawyers will argue that the EU sanctions are
baseless and were imposed purely because he is a famous Russian
businessman, the source said. 
  
        "He was not sanctioned because of evidence relating to
the criteria: he was sanctioned simply because politically, the
most famous Russian businessman had to be even if this is a
manifest error," the source said.  
  
        Abramovich, who also holds Israeli citizenship, was one
of the most powerful businessmen who earned fabulous fortunes
after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. Forbes has put his
net worth at $9.2 billion.
  

 (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge
Editing by Andrew Osborn)
 ((guy.faulconbridge@thomsonreuters.com; Telephone
+79856400243;))