A German court has prohibited the Berlin-based publication Tagesspiegel from spreading a number of false claims about the Uzbek-Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
Those claims were previously used to justify sanctions imposed by the European Union on Usmanov, as well as justification to launch investigations against the tycoon in Germany.
The Hamburg Regional Court has ruled in favour of Usmanov, 71, prohibiting the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, a part of a large media holding DvH Medien GmbH, from spreading a series of false and defamatory claims about the billionaire. A violation of the ruling could result in a fine of up to €250,000 per violation or imprisonment for up to two years for repeated violations.
The decision, a copy of which was seen by EU Today, was issued on February 3rd. Usmanov was placed under EU sanctions in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for his alleged ties to Vladimir Putin, which he denied.
The billionaire has been fighting sanctions in court, calling them “unfair” and pledging to “use all legal means to protect my honour and reputation.” Over the past three years, Usmanov, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at 14,9 bn USD, has vigorously fought off his qualification as an “oligarch” and challenged dozens of media outlets for spreading unverified allegations about his property and supposed ties to Russian authorities.
In November 2024, Tagesspiegel published an article by Andrey Popov titled “A Fan of Germany and a Friend of Putin: Who is the Russian Oligarch Alisher Usmanov?” The article cited a number of accusations, including claims about assets in Germany that Usmanov supposedly owns as well as using his alleged connections with Russian authorities to boost his wealth.
According to Usmanov’s lawyers, similar allegations were used by German law enforcement or as justification for sanctions against Usmanov in the EU.
After the outlet received a letter from Usmanov’s lawyer it deleted the article but refused to abstain from further dissemination of these claims. Usmanov filed an injunction request with the Hamburg Regional Court, which ruled in his favour.
According to court documents seen by EU Today, the Hamburg Regional Court has prohibited Tagesspiegel from claiming that Usmanov acquired assets through dishonest means.
The ruling specifically bans statements alleging that “in exchange for services and cooperation with [Russian] authorities, Usmanov was able to buy up major Soviet-era assets at bargain prices,” and that “the foundation of his prosperity was securing large and highly lucrative government contracts without real competition—such as in the construction sector.”
Usmanov earlier stated that he did not participate in the privatisation of state assets in the 1990s and acquired all his assets on the open market. In a comment to EU Today, his representatives also noted the “sheer absurdity” of the German newspaper’s statements, pointing to the fact that it is known that the construction sector has hardly ever been part of Usmanov’s business interests.
The court also banned claims that Usmanov allegedly owns property on Lake Tegernsee in Bavaria or the yacht Dilbar. His representatives have clarified that these assets belong to a trust, managed by an independent trustee, and established by Usmanov years ago for estate planning purposes.
The court ruled that Tagesspiegel failed to provide any evidence proving Usmanov’s ownership of these assets. It stated that references to third-party reports or alleged “shell companies” supposedly linked to him were insufficient as proof.
The Hamburg court also ruled that the claim “He [Usmanov] indeed lived here for many years…” (referring to a villa in Bavaria) was unsubstantiated and violated his personal rights. The claim echoed earlier allegations made by German prosecutors, alleging that Usmanov was a tax resident of Germany and accusing him of having evaded tax obligations. His representatives have described these accusations as baseless.
The court also banned Tagesspiegel from claiming that “Usmanov fought off charges from the Frankfurt prosecutor’s office with multimillion-euro fines and compensations.” This claim, according to Usmanov’s legal team, contradicted the fact that the Frankfurt General Prosecutor’s Office had earlier terminated the investigation against him related to suspected money laundering in “full accordance with German law, with the case ending in a voluntary charity donation, not fines or compensation”.
The court ruling stated that Tagesspiegel «cannot justify reprinting other news agencies reports without verifying their accuracy».
EU Today reached out to Tagesspiegel and the Hamburg Regional Court for comment.
“The court ruling in favour of Usmanov is yet another confirmation of the weak legal foundation behind the EU authorities’ approach to imposing personal sanctions,” Usmanov’s representative told EU Today.
“The EU Council is legally required to consider the German court’s rulings on Usmanov under Article 4(3) of the Treaty on the European Union, which establishes the so-called principle of sincere cooperation. However, instead of reassessing its position, the EU Council remains unyielding—choosing to alter the formal justifications for sanctions rather than reconsidering their legitimacy,” he said.
Joachim Steinhöfel, a media rights attorney representing Usmanov, described the ruling as “a landmark decision“, highlighting its importance in holding media outlets accountable for publishing unverified accusations.
“The article, the essential parts of which were banned, consisted of a collection of conspiracy theories and untruthful stories according to which Mr. Usmanov had made his fortune not through his outstanding entrepreneurial talent but through dark forces. This decision proves that it is problematic that the EU Council often copies such unlawful falsehoods without own verification and bases its sanctions on them. The result of this practice by the Council of the EU is that the press is increasingly exposed to legal proceedings,” – Steinhöfel said.
Meanwhile, reports say that the U.S. task force targeting Russian “oligarchs” has been disbanded, which potentially could impact many sanctioned individuals.
In February 2024, the Court of EU in its ruling upheld sanctions against Usmanov. The billionaire has appealed this decision.
