Roman Abramovich heads to European Court of Human Rights
Roman Abramovich has headed to the European Court of Human Rights to challenge a criminal investigation into the Russian oligarch being carried out by authorities in Jersey.
The former Chelsea FC owner has been under investigation for four years by the Channel Islands authorities in a move that has seen £5.3bn of his assets frozen. Nearly £1.5bn of the fund stems from the sale of Chelsea to a consortium led by Todd Boehly in 2022.
And the Russian – who denies links with the Kremlin that led to his sanctioning after the invasion of Ukraine – has gone to the ECHR to argue that the investigation is “unfair and abusive” and a violation of his rights.
Abramovich’s representative told The Times: “This investigation, which has dragged on for years without charges, transparency, or credible evidence, represents a clear abuse of power by the government of Jersey and a violation of fundamental rights.
“Authorities have withheld key information and ignored basic procedural safeguards, showing how this is not a legitimate legal process but one driven by political motives.
“We expect the European Court of Human Rights to recognise these failures and reach the same conclusion.”
Abramovich to court
It comes amid a feud with the UK government over whether the proceeds of the £2.35bn sale of the London club go to Ukrainian victims or all of those affected by the war – a move which would open the door for Russians to benefit.
The move led to Abramovich seeking to register a charity with the UK Charity Commission, the Foundation for Victims of Conflict, with one trustee having links to the Prime Minister.
Martin Griffiths, a UK diplomat and former coordinator for the United Nations, co-founded a “peacemaking” organisation with Starmer’s top national security advisor Jonathan Powell.
The pair founded Inter-Mediate in 2011, with the organisation focusing “on the most difficult, complex and dangerous conflicts where other organisations are unable to operate”.