Russian businessman Roman Abramovich has filed a lawsuit with the General Court of the European Union against the Council of the European Union, which imposed sanctions on the former owner of Chelsea Football Club as part of measures targeting Russia, allies of President Vladimir Putin and the Russian “oligarchs”.
Last March, the European Union classified the Russian billionaire among the individuals subject to a financial asset freeze and travel ban due to Russia’s special military operation to protect Donbass, according to the Associated Press.
Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea after the British government imposed sanctions on him following the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the sale was completed on Monday for 2.5 billion pounds in favor of American Todd Boyle.
The European Commission stated that the Portuguese authorities had confirmed that the sale of Chelsea by Abramovich (who holds a Portuguese passport) did not benefit him or an entity associated with him, and that the proceeds would be directed to humanitarian activities in Ukraine.
“This comes on the heels of the close engagement between the European Commission, Portugal and the United Kingdom with the aim of ensuring that the sale is fully compliant with EU sanctions legislation,” she added in a letter to the Associated Press.
Abramovich “sues” the Council of the European Union
