Alisher Usmanov plans to challenge sanctions through the German constitution

Lawyers of billionaire Alisher Usmanov intend to appeal to the German Federal Constitutional Court to challenge the EU sanctions against the businessman. It was reported by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung without specifying the source of information. According to the newspaper, lawyers are preparing a lawsuit to prove that Usmanov was placed under sanctions by mistake and that his mentioning in the sanctions list violates the German constitution.

The lawyers want the court to consider how effective the sanctions are against rich people who, according to the European Union, support Russian authorities and thereby indirectly contribute to Russia's "military special operation" in Ukraine. An expert opinion has been prepared on the lawsuit.

Professor Dietrich Mursvik concluded that sanctions were incompatible with "human dignity" if the EU listed a person who had no responsibility for the "special operation". In Mursvik's view, this violates Germany's "constitutional identity". Mursvik wrote the report at the request of the Uzbek embassy in Germany, Süddeutsche Zeitung noted.

It is noted that if Usmanov succeeds in Germany's Constitutional Court, it will also be beneficial to other Russians who are under sanctions, Süddeutsche Zeitung said.

For reference: Usmanov came under EU personal sanctions on 28 February 2022 - at the same time as other Russian billionaires. In April 2022 Usmanov filed a lawsuit against the EU Council in the European Court of Justice to challenge the sanctions.

In November, the Financial Times wrote that Uzbekistan asked the EU authorities to lift sanctions against Alisher Usmanov, pointing out that the restrictions prevented the billionaire from investing in the country's economy.