logo
Russian tycoon scores victory in legal battle against Western media

Russian tycoon scores victory in legal battle against Western media

Russia Today09-02-2025
Russian metals and telecoms tycoon Alisher Usmanov has won another lawsuit in his sizable legal wrangle with Western media outlets. A regional court in Germany has banned a local news daily from disseminating
'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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Moscow calls for ‘International day against Russophobia'
Moscow calls for ‘International day against Russophobia'

Russia Today

timea day ago

  • Russia Today

Moscow calls for ‘International day against Russophobia'

The world needs an 'International Day against Russophobia,' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said, adding that this 'extremist' ideology should not be allowed to take root in the international community. Anti-Russian propaganda spread by Western nations has already led to numerous tragedies, including the Ukraine conflict, the spokeswoman told an International Summer School for young public officials. 'Weapons are being supplied to the terrorist Kiev regime under the hellish banners of Russophobia,' she said. According to Zakharova, the hatred of everything Russian has become 'yet another extremist, Nazi… neo-Nazi ideology that kills people both literally and figuratively.' It should be combated just like any other racial or religious hatred, the spokeswoman maintained. Russophobia should have 'no place on Earth,' much less as a state ideology, she said, naming Ukraine as one of the prime examples of nations harboring the ideology and depriving millions of people of their native Russian language. The government in Kiev has waged a campaign to purge anything linked to Russia for years. The authorities have renamed streets and demolished monuments deemed linked to Russia, including some UNESCO World Heritage sites. Moscow has cited the protection of the Russian-speaking population of Donbass among the key reasons for the military operation it launched in 2022. The continued repression of the Russian-speaking population by the Ukrainian government has been consistently ignored by the US and the EU since the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, according to Russia. The Baltic states have also ramped up enforcement actions against anyone suspected of having Russian ties. Hundreds of people, primarily ethnic Russians, have reportedly been deported from Latvia for failing a Latvian language exam. Riga has also prohibited entry of Russian citizens who own real estate near strategically important sites, citing security concerns. In June, top officials from Baltic and Nordic nations called on Brussels to ban all Russians with past or current ties to the military from entering the Schengen Zone.

Most Germans unhappy with Merz's leadership
Most Germans unhappy with Merz's leadership

Russia Today

time2 days ago

  • Russia Today

Most Germans unhappy with Merz's leadership

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suffered a major blow in terms of public support over the past month, with 56% of people disapproving of his work, a survey conducted by INSA institute shows. Less than a third of respondents said they are still satisfied with his leadership. In early June, the level of support for Merz stood at 36%, with 45% of Germans critical of his performance, according to the German tabloid Bild, which commissioned the poll. The governing coalition, which includes Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democrats, has also taken a beating, according to the poll. Almost 60% of Germans are not satisfied with the coalition's work, up from just 44% in early June, the data suggests. The two parties would no longer be able to form a majority government if elections were held this weekend, with the CDU getting 27% of the vote and the Social Democrats gaining 15%, according to INSA. Germany's most popular opposition party – the right-wing Alterative for Germany (AfD) – is polling just three percentage points behind the CDU, the poll suggested. Since taking office in May, Merz has adopted a hardline foreign policy stance towards Russia. Berlin – one of Kiev's largest backers – has pledged to provide €5 billion ($5.6 billion) to finance long-range weapons production in Ukraine. The chancellor also did not rule out providing long-range missiles capable of striking Moscow. Merz declared that diplomatic options in the Ukraine conflict were 'exhausted' earlier this month. The chancellor's statements prompted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to accuse him of choosing escalation instead of diplomacy. The federal government's spending priorities have sparked criticism at home. 'Nobody understands that anymore,' AfD co-chair Alice Weidel said this week, referring to Berlin's decision to funnel taxpayers' money into weapons for Kiev while leaving domestic needs being unmet.

German armed forces look to teens to close recruitment gap
German armed forces look to teens to close recruitment gap

Russia Today

time2 days ago

  • Russia Today

German armed forces look to teens to close recruitment gap

The German Defense Ministry wants 40,000 new recruits a year by 2031, Der Tagesspiegel reported on Thursday, citing informed sources. Teenagers may be called up to serve if volunteers cannot fill the gap, the newspaper said. Sources in the ministry told the outlet that the initial aim would be to boost the number of volunteers for the army reserves starting next year. If contract soldiers are not enough to fill the quota, Berlin would reintroduce mandatory conscription for 18-year-olds from 2028, defense officials said. The ministry will present a draft bill on the changes to the cabinet in August, which will then move to the parliament for approval. The project aims to boost volunteer numbers from 15,000 this year by 3,000-5,000 annually, offering pay rises, driver's license subsidies, and bonuses as incentives, according to Der Tagesspiegel. From 2027, all young men and female volunteers would complete military questionnaires assessing their interest in joining the German armed forces. Suitable candidates would undergo voluntary medical checks, the aim of which would be to provide a 'situational overview' of their health suitability, broadcaster ZDF said. Germany has repeatedly debated whether or not to return to conscription, which was suspended in 2011. Along with other EU countries, it moved to revamp its military readiness after the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen floated a proposal to marshal €800 billion ($914 billion) in debt and tax incentives to re-arm the EU in the face of what she described as a 'Russian threat.' Moscow has repeatedly dismissed such claims as 'nonsense.' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to make the Bundeswehr the 'strongest army' on the continent. In neighboring France, President Emmanuel Macron has proposed reviving voluntary national service to increase the number of reservists from 40,000 to 100,000 within a decade, while ruling out the reinstatement of the draft.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store