12/17/2022 4:23 pm (act. 12/18/2022 1:36 pm)
One of the plaintiffs: super oligarch Roman Abramovich ©Portal/CanvaPro
Oligarchs and companies in Russia and Belarus are defending themselves against EU sanctions with complaints to the European Court of Justice.
The “Bild” newspaper reported (Saturday) that 61 lawsuits from sanctioned persons and companies are currently pending in Luxembourg.
“Intangible Damage”
For example, according to documents available on the court’s website, the two oligarchs Grigory Bereskin and Gennady Timchenko are demanding compensation for alleged “non-pecuniary damage”. Bereskin claims he “suffered severe damage to his reputation” and has no connection to events in Ukraine. He also does not support the government of the Russian Federation. He apparently symbolically demands one euro as compensation for immaterial damage.
Timchenko, who lives in Switzerland and played ice hockey with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, wants €1m in damages from the EU. In his filing, he accuses the EU of making an obvious error in its assessment of “the relationship between the applicant and President Putin”. In addition, he cites as other grounds of action, among other things, the “violation of the right to effective judicial protection and the duty to state reasons” and a “violation of the principle of proportionality and fundamental rights”.
According to court documents, the list of plaintiffs in Luxembourg includes other well-known oligarchs in the West, including former owner of English football club Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich and Mikhail Fridman, founder and manager of the major financial group Alfa-Group.
One million euros in compensation
Like Timchenko, Abramovich demands one million euros “as compensation for the non-pecuniary damage incurred”. In case of EU condemnation, proceeds will go towards a charitable foundation to be set up as part of the sale of Chelsea FC to benefit war victims.
The oligarch Alisher Usmanow, well known in Germany, also complained. A full-scale raid by investigative and tax authorities caused a sensation in his adopted Bavarian home of Rottach-Egern. Usmanov tried to be removed from the EU sanctions list by emergency decision. But the president of the competent court of the European Union refused.