EU lifts sanctions on Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman

The Council of the EU's decision dated September 22 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. According to the document, individual sanctions against about 3,000 individuals and legal entities were extended until September 2029 instead of the standard six months. Restrictions against Fridman's Alfa Group partners — Petr Aven, German Khan, and Alexey Kuzmichev — remained in force.

According to diplomatic sources of Reuters, the decision was part of a compromise deal. Usmanov's removal was sought by France, which cited national security matters, and Slovakia. Luxembourg proposed lifting sanctions on Fridman amid a $16 billion lawsuit filed by the businessman against the country's authorities over asset freezes. Latvia initially opposed the compromise, but ultimately abstained from voting, allowing the document to be approved under the required consensus.

As the Financial Times wrote and Reuters sources reported, Paris's position was linked to an agreement to release French citizens detained in Azerbaijan. Baku denied any connection between these processes. On the morning of September 23, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree pardoning 20 people, including Martin Ryan, a French citizen convicted in the country.

The EU imposed sanctions on Usmanov in 2022. The billionaire challenged them in a European court, but the lawsuit was dismissed. The businessman insisted that he had been targeted with restrictions solely because of his prominence and wealth.