Court in London rejects claim by business partner of Abramovich to lift sanctions

The High Court of London dismissed the claim of the business partner of Russian businessman Roman Abramovich Yevgeny Shvidler, who challenged the UK sanctions imposed against him. About it informs Reuters agency.

The fact that Shvidler filed a lawsuit with a London court became known in March 2023. According to Bloomberg, Shvidler’s lawyers argued that the UK had made “significant errors” in its assessment of the businessman’s relationship with Abramovich. Lawyer Michael O’Kane said that his client in no way “can influence the policy of the Russian government in Ukraine, which should be the target of these sanctions.”

Shvidler also told reporters that he was able to get then-UK Secretary of Transport Grant Shapps to remove a series of tweets and a video of the plane owned by the businessman. The official in the caption to the video wrote that “Putin’s friends” are being sanctioned.

Great Britain, referring to Shvidler’s connections with Evraz and Sibneft, insisted that he received “financial benefits” from Abramovich. In court, the businessman’s lawyers noted that the payments were received from companies, and not from Abramovich personally, writes Reuters.

On March 10, 2022, the UK imposed sanctions on Abramovich, froze his assets and banned the businessman from entering the country. Britain explained the restrictions imposed on the businessman by his connection with the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Shvidler hit under UK sanctions on March 24, 2022. At that time, the UK blacklist included 59 individuals and organizations from Russia, as well as six from Belarus.