Uzbekistan has asked the European Union to lift sanctions on Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov and his sister Gulbahor Ismailova. This is reported by the Financial Times, citing sources.
Uzbekistan is the birthplace of Usmanov. According to the FT, he still maintains a close relationship with her. The sanctions limited his ability to invest in the country. Tashkent stressed this at a recent meeting between officials from Uzbekistan and the EU, sources said. In addition, Uzbekistan said that it would provide legal assistance to Usmanov in a possible trial against the European Union if he does not remove sanctions from the oligarch.
The Uzbek Foreign Ministry did not respond to the FT's request, but Usmanov's spokesman confirmed that the sanctions do prevent him from investing and doing charity work.
The EU imposed sanctions against Usmanov in the early days of Russia's war against Ukraine. Together with him, the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin, the head of Transneft Nikolai Tokarev, the owners of the Alfa Group consortium Mikhail Fridman and Pyotr Aven, Putin's friends Gennady Timchenko and Sergey Roldugin, as well as propagandists Arkady Mamontov, Anton Krasovsky, Roman Babayan, Olga Skabeeva and Tigran Keosayan.