Russian tycoon scores victory in legal battle against Western media
'false'
statements about the billionaire, RBK reported on Sunday, citing Usmanov's press office.
The Berlin-based publication Tagesspiegel, controlled by the German publisher DvH Medien, has been barred from spreading a series of false and defamatory claims about the Uzbek-born businessman. The ruling, a copy of which was obtained by the outlet, was made by the Hamburg Regional Court on February 3. Failing to comply will reportedly result in a fine of up to €250,000 ($258,000) per violation or imprisonment for up to two years for repeated breaches, the media outlet noted.
The litigation was reportedly focused on a piece by Andrey Popov titled
'A Fan of Germany and a Friend of Putin: Who is the Russian Oligarch Alisher Usmanov?'
published by Tagesspiegel in November 2024. The article contained a number of allegations, including claims about assets in Germany purportedly owned by the mogul along with accusations that he used his unproved connections with Russian authorities to boost his fortune.
The piece was deleted shortly after a request from Usmanov's lawyer, EU Today noted, but the newspaper continued to spread the claims, forcing the businessman to seek legal redress.
The latest ruling specifically bans the statements alleging that the businessman
'was able to buy up major Soviet-era assets at bargain prices in exchange for services and cooperation with the authorities,'
as well as claims that
'the foundation of his prosperity was securing large and highly lucrative government contracts without real competition—such as in the construction sector.'
READ MORE:
German judge backs Russian tycoon over US media giant
Moreover, the court prohibited the newspaper from further claims about property on Lake Tegernsee in Bavaria or the yacht Dilbar, allegedly owned by Usmanov, after Tagesspiegel failed to provide any evidence proving the ownership of the property.
The court ruling, described by Usmanov's attorneys as
'a landmark decision,'
is not the first victory clinched by the billionaire in his legal battle against Western media giants spreading misinformation about him. A year ago, the District Court of Hamburg in Germany banned Forbes magazine from disseminating statements about his alleged connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In October 2024, Usmanov filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office in the German city of Cologne seeking to hold Hans-Joachim Seppelt, a journalist with the German TV channel ARD, criminally liable for claims that the tycoon was behind a scheme to manipulate referees during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Media holding Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) that runs the broadcaster had previously admitted that the reports were libelous.
The businessman, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $14.9 billion, was placed under EU sanctions over the alleged ties to Putin shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Usmanov attempted to challenge Brussels' decision to blacklist him, but his appeal has been dismissed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
17 hours ago
- Russia Today
Zelensky admits territory exchanges on talks agenda
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has acknowledged that territorial exchanges are on the talks agenda at the White House with US President Donald Trump and Kiev's key Western European backers. Zelensky had previously refused outright to discuss any loss of land. In the aftermath of last week's Putin-Trump summit in Alaska, Zelensky reacted to any type of territorial concession stating that 'The Constitution of Ukraine does not allow the surrender of territories or the trading of land.' During his opening remarks at the White House, before meeting with Zelensky, the leaders of the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Finland, as well as the heads of NATO and the European Commission, Trump said the talks would address possible territorial exchanges. He described the current front lines as 'the war zone, war lines that are pretty obvious – very sad to look at,' and added that any decision on the matter 'can only be made by Zelensky and the people of Ukraine working together, and by President Putin.' Zelensky followed up by thanking the American President for a map Trump had apparently used in discussions with the Ukrainian leader.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Russia ready for concessions on ‘land swaps' with Ukraine
Russia is now ready to make certain concessions as part of 'land swaps' with Ukraine, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has claimed. Trump will be meeting with Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky and several Western European leaders at the White House on Monday, in a bid to work out a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev. On Friday, Trump held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, with the presidents expressing cautious optimism that progress was made towards a resolution of the Ukraine conflict. Witkoff told CNN on Sunday that during the Alaska summit, the Russian delegation 'made some concessions at the table with regard to all five regions,' along the conflict front lines. According to the US official, the Kremlin appears ready to conduct 'land swapping' with Kiev, with the current front line serving as the starting point in at least some areas. Witkoff said that Moscow's demands had undergone a ' On Saturday, the New York Times and Fox News, citing anonymous European officials, claimed that Trump endorsed a peace plan that envisages Ukraine ceding the whole of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics to Russia, with Moscow agreeing to cease hostilities along the current front line in Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The Kremlin has yet to comment on any such conditions. Officially, Moscow continues to insist that Ukraine recognize Crimea, the DPR and LPR as well as and Zaporozhye and Kherson regions as Russian territory in their entirety. In his CNN interview, Witkoff further touted a 'game changing' agreement by Russia to 'robust security guarantees' akin to NATO's Article 5 being provided to Ukraine by the US and unnamed European nations. Explaining Trump's endorsement of a comprehensive peace deal as opposed to a temporary ceasefire, Witkoff said it was due to the significant headway achieved during the Alaska summit.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Trump accuses Biden of driving Russia and China closer together
US President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of inadvertently drawing 'natural enemies' Russia and China closer together. Trump made the claim following his summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, which focused on a resolution of the Ukraine conflict. In an interview with Fox News, Trump was asked about Western sanctions on Russia and his recent threat to impose secondary sanctions on countries importing Russian energy, such as India and China. 'He [Biden] did something that was unthinkable. He drove China and Russia together. That's not good… it's the one thing you didn't want to do. Because they are basically natural enemies,' Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity. The US president went on to claim that Russia's vast territory is something that China needs to accommodate its massive population, but 'because of pure stupidity, they were driven together.' Biden's foreign policy included simultaneous confrontation with both Moscow and Beijing, where Washington launched sweeping sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, while tightening restrictions on high technology exports, such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, to China. Moscow and Beijing both slammed the sanctions as unilateral, illegal, and a form of economic bullying, framing them as proof of Washington's disregard for international law. The two countries have since deepened energy and trade cooperation. Moscow has redirected much of its oil and gas exports toward China, while bilateral commerce has expanded to record levels in 2023 and 2024. The two countries have also shifted to settling transactions in local currencies rather than the US dollar, underscoring their effort to reduce reliance on Western financial systems. Since taking office in January, Trump has kept up pressure on China while at the same time moving toward a closer relationship with Russia. His administration has introduced a series of new tariffs on Chinese goods, while refraining from imposing new sanctions on Moscow. The US president described his talks with Putin in Alaska on Friday as 'very productive' and achieving 'great progress.
