The Times: Friedman said sanctions against him were unfair
Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman said the sanctions imposed against him were a “political tool” and complained that the problem was unlikely to be solved. His words transmits British newspaper The Times.
The entrepreneur explained that he and his business partners always openly said that they did not participate in Russian politics, and were engaged exclusively in private business, like dozens of large Western companies in the country. In this regard, he believes that the restrictions he faces are unfair and unjustified.
Related materials:
The billionaire lamented that he had invested tens of billions of pounds in British, European and American companies and created thousands of jobs. He also added that before the sanctions, his life in London was comfortable, because there was a sense of calm and stability there, but now he does not have such a feeling. Currently, at the request of the British authorities, Friedman can spend no more than two thousand pounds ($2,480) per month. He previously said that in such a situation he could not even pay the cleaner and was “captive” in his mansion in London.
The day before, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) closed its investigation into Friedman for alleged sanctions evasion. The service confirmed it would not take any further action against the billionaire based on the warrant issued at Athlone House in December 2022.
As The New York Times (NYT) wrote in July, British sanctions against Russian billionaires are not as tough as the country claimed. The newspaper learned that the government has issued dozens of special licenses to foreign citizens in order to legally spend money in the country. Thus, Friedman was allowed to spend 300 thousand pounds (about 390 thousand dollars) to pay staff and 7 thousand pounds (9 thousand dollars) to cover basic needs.
#Fridman #complained #sanctions #imposed