EU

EU sanctions against Roman Abramovich are based on fame rather than evidence, lawyer claims

Abramovich was placed on the EU sanctions list for his alleged links to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president

Roman Abramovich has seen his EU assets frozen and his travel restricted due to sanctions. Picture: Getty

The European Union’s sanctioning of the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for his alleged links to Vladimir Putin was a political move by the bloc’s leaders to clamp down on a famous Russian, his lawyer has told an EU court.

At a hearing in the EU’s General Court today, Abramovich’s legal team hit out at claims that his privileged relationship with the Russian leader allowed him to line his pockets while his company provides a “substantial ...