2 Russian businessmen linked to Alfa Group win court case over EU sanctions

News

2 Russian businessmen linked to Alfa Group win court case over EU sanctions

2024-04-10 19:48 Last Updated At：19:50

BRUSSELS (AP) — Russian businessmen Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven won a court case Wednesday over a European Union decision to sanction them for their alleged role in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The EU General Court said a lack of evidence justified their removal from a list of persons who faced restrictive measures between February 2022 and March 2023. The EU in March last year kept Aven and Fridman on the lists. The two have also challenged that decision in separate cases still pending.

Fridman is a founder of Alfa Group and ranks as one of Russia’s wealthiest tycoons. The group’s Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest non-state bank, was sanctioned by the EU in March 2022, prompting Fridman to leave the board to try to help the bank skirt sanctions. Aven headed Alfa Bank until March 2022, but like Fridman left the board after the EU move.

The EU has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia since Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine. The measures have targeted the energy sector, banks, the world’s biggest diamond-mining company, businesses and markets, and subjected Russian officials — including Russian President Vladimir Putin — to asset freezes and travel bans.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Wednesday's ruling.

“Of course representatives of big business have the opportunity to challenge these sanctions decisions ... and they are doing that,” Peskov told reporters. “In any case, we consider all these sanctions illegal, unfair and destructive."

Neither Fridman nor Aven had directly criticized the war. They instead asked well-known anti-war Russians to sign a letter asking that EU sanctions against them be lifted.

Leonid Volkov, the chief of staff to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, signed the letter and later said he regretted doing so.

Volkov said the decision to delist Fridman and Aven was “very bad” because it showed that tycoons could have sanctions lifted without publicly criticizing Putin or the war in Ukraine.

“What the Europeans have done now makes no sense,” Volkov wrote on social platform X.

“Fridman and Aven never said a word in public against the war and did not go into conflict with Putin. The EU Court simply gave them what they wanted on a silver platter. For what? What signal is the court sending to Putin, his friends, and Russian oligarchs?” he added.

Aven, of Russian and Latvian nationality, and Fridman, who holds Russian and Israeli passports, were placed on the list for restrictive measures after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The two challenged the decision and the General Court said their inclusion was not justified because there was insufficient evidence that they provided material or financial support to Russian decision-makers, or were associated with war efforts undermining Ukraine.

“The General Court considers that none of the reasons set out in the initial acts is sufficiently substantiated and that the inclusion of Mr Aven and Mr Fridman on the lists at issue was therefore not justified,” the Luxembourg-based court said in a statement.

Fridman has called the war a tragedy and for the “bloodshed” to end. He previously lived in Britain but reportedly returned to Moscow after fighting between Israel and Hamas began.

Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed financial sanctions against four Russians on the board of Alfa Group, including Aven and Fridman.

Rulings by the General Court can be appealed to the European Court of Justice.

Emma Burrows in London contributed to this report.

Crawford goes 7 innings, Wong has 3 hits and Red Sox beat Giants 6-2

2024-05-02 10:37 Last Updated At：10:42

BOSTON (AP) — Kutter Crawford pitched a career-high seven innings, Connor Wong had three hits and the Boston Red Sox beat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Wednesday night.

Crawford (2-1) allowed two runs on four hits — including a home run — and two walks with six strikeouts as the Red Sox won their fourth straight.

“That was good,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Crawford’s outing. “He worked hard in the offseason to get to this point. Big strikeout to end the sixth. Good stuff, good fastball. He earned the right to go out there and try to get three outs.

“Very proud of him. He’s been awesome, absolutely great. He got hit hard in the middle of the game, but that’s part of it, right? He threw a lot of strikes with good stuff and he maintained his stuff throughout the outing.”

The right-hander’s previous career high was 6 1/3 innings on April 17, 2023, against the Los Angeles Angels.

“Really satisfying,” Crawford said. “I can’t think of a better feeling than to get through seven, give your team the best chance to win and help the bullpen out while you’re at it.”

Chris Martin and Greg Weissert each pitched a scoreless inning in relief for Boston.

Wong was 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Jarren Duran also reached base three times for Boston, with two walks and his fourth triple of the season.

Daulton Jefferies (0-2) pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief, giving up four runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts for San Francisco. He lowered his ERA from 22.50 to 17.36.

“He’s getting behind some guys,” said Giants manager Bob Melvin. “He’s normally a strike thrower. He walked a couple and gave up some hits, but got behind in some counts. And, as you saw, he was missing low with quite a few pitches and took a little while to find the strike zone and when he did, he was behind and they got some good swings off him.”

The Red Sox scored two runs in the third when Ceddanne Rafaela singled, Duran walked and Rafael Devers hit an RBI double. Rob Refsnyder then grounded out, scoring Duran.

Boston added two runs in the fourth when Wong led off with a double and scored on Enmanuel Valdez’s double. Duran’s stand-up triple scored Valdez.

Dom Smith, whom the Red Sox signed just before the game after he was released by Tampa Bay on Tuesday, had an RBI single in the fifth.

Tom Murphy led off the third with his first home run of the season, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead.

Erik Miller, taking the rotation spot of left-hander Blake Snell, on the injured list with a left adductor strain, went one scoreless inning with two walks and a strikeout.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: LHP Blake Snell, out since April 23 with a left adductor strain, threw a bullpen session on Wednesday.

Red Sox: RHP Nick Pivetta, out since April 6 with a right elbow flexor strain, is expected to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Thursday. … 2B Vaughn Grissom, out all season with a left hamstring strain, could rejoin the team on Friday, manager Alex Cora said. … INF Romy Gonzalez, out since April 11 with a left wrist sprain, could begin a rehab assignment Thursday or Friday.

UP NEXT

LHP Kyle Harrison (2-1, 4.09 ERA) is scheduled to start for San Francisco, his first career appearance against Boston. RHP Josh Winckowski (1-1, 3.50) will start for Boston. He has two career appearances against the Giants, spanning 2 2/3 innings, with no decisions and a 3.38 ERA.

AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/MLB