Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has just won the lawsuit against a German newspaper, marking an important turning point in his legal battle with Western media.
According to the RBK, the Hamburg Court (Germany) issued a ban on the Tagesspiegel newspaper to continue spreading false information about the billionaire of this metal and telecommunications industry.
The ruling was made on 3.2.2025, requiring Tagesspiegel to stop posting unfounded allegations related to Usmanov's property and political relations. If violated, this newspaper may face a fine of up to 250,000 euros (258,000 USD) for each violation, or even 2 years in prison if continuing to recidual.
The lawsuit revolves around the article "Fans of Germany and his best friend Putin: Who is Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov?" posted in November 2024 on Tagesspiegel. The report on the Usmanov acquires the Soviet time at a cheap price thanks to the relationship with the government, and receives lucrative government contracts without real bidding.
In addition, the Court also banned the newspaper from continuing to report on assets at Lake Tegernsee (Bavaria) and Dilbar Super Dilbar, after Tagesspiegel could not provide any evidence that Usmanov owned assets. This.
This is not the first time the usmanov billionaire has won against the Western media. Earlier, in 2023, the Hamburg District Court also banned Forbes magazine posting false statements about the relationship between Usmanov and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In October 2024, Usmanov filed a lawsuit against journalist Hans-Joachim Seppelt by German TV channel ARD, requesting a criminal prosecution for allegations behind an arbitration manipulation plan at the Paris Olympic Games 2024. WDR, the host unit of ARD, later admitted these allegations were slander.
Despite constantly winning the Western press, Usmanov has not been able to remove sanctions from the European Union (EU). He was included in the sanctions list since 2022, accused of being close to the Kremlin. Despite appealing to the European court, his lawsuit was rejected.
The usmanov billionaire currently owns a US $ 14.9 billion asset (according to Forbes) and is one of the Russian billionaires heavily influenced by Western sanctions.
