In Germany, the court prohibited the retention of property seized during searches in the Usmanov case

The district court of Frankfurt am Main declared illegal the retention by the Prosecutor General’s Office of documents and property seized in the country during investigative measures against the founder of the USM holding, Alisher Usmanov. The court ordered them to be returned to their owners, the businessman’s press service reported.

We are talking about searches as part of an investigation into money laundering last fall in the Bavarian city of Rottach-Eggern, on the Dilbar yacht in Hamburg, as well as in the apartment of Usmanov’s friend’s family near Frankfurt am Main. In May 2023, the court found four search warrants illegal, and lawyers filed applications for the return of documents and property seized during the searches to the owners.

“On October 26, the district court in Frankfurt am Main satisfied these demands. “Thus, it was determined that the retention of seized property by German law enforcement agencies is illegal, must be stopped, and the relevant items must be returned to their last known owners,” the press service said.

The court, as noted, also pointed out Usmanov’s need for legal protection, since the Prosecutor General’s Office of Frankfurt am Main continued to retain the seized property for its own purposes, despite recognizing the search warrants as illegal.

The EU imposed sanctions on Usmanov on February 28, 2022, almost immediately after the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine. The EU stated that the businessman financially supported those responsible for the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation and the start of hostilities in Ukraine. The USM holding company he founded called EU sanctions against the businessman unfounded. In April, Usmanov filed a lawsuit with the European Court against the Council of the EU demanding that personal sanctions be lifted from him.