A billionaire ally of Russian businessman Roman Abramovich is attempting to reverse British sanctions at the Court of Appeal by claiming he was targeted because of pressure exerted on then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss by a Cabinet colleague.
Eugene Shvidler, an oil tycoon, was subjected to sanctions in March 2022 due to his association with Abramovich, as well as the seizure of his two private jets. The basis for the sanctions also included Shvidler’s directorial role at London-listed Russian steel producer Evraz and his involvement with Russian oil company Sibneft, previously owned by Abramovich.
Despite being estimated to be worth $1.5 billion by Forbes magazine, Shvidler contends that the sanctions were unjustly imposed solely because of his relationship with Abramovich, whom he considers a close friend. After losing his initial challenge to the sanctions in August, Shvidler is appealing to the Court of Appeal in London to rule that the imposition of sanctions was illegal.
This case marks the first substantive appellate examination of British sanctions implemented following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In response, over 1,600 individuals have been sanctioned by Britain, with more than 18 billion pounds ($22.8 billion) in assets frozen.
In court filings, Shvidler’s lawyer David Anderson disclosed recently-released documents indicating that Grant Shapps, who was the Transport Secretary at the time, exerted “pressure” on Truss to sanction Shvidler. Anderson argued that this was executed “at short notice and on the basis of limited information”.
Contrarily, government lawyers stated that the new documents were irrelevant to the issue of whether the imposed sanctions were lawful. “There is nothing improper about inter-departmental cooperation of this nature,” James Eadie asserted in court filings.
Shvidler’s appeal is being deliberated alongside a case brought by Russian businessman Sergei Naumenko, whose 58.5-meter superyacht was detained in London in March 2022. Alexa Magee, a legal researcher at campaign group Spotlight on Corruption, noted that a victory for Britain would “underscore the government’s wide remit” when imposing sanctions.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin. Editing by Jane Merriman)
