Russian court recognises Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi as extremist

A district court in the Russian republic of Adygea, in the North Caucasus, has banned a company owned by Ukrainian businessman Ihor Kolomoiskyi from operating, put Kolomoiskyi on the "extremist list" and ordered the confiscation of his assets. This was reported by BBC News Russian. According to the newspaper Kommersant, the case was heard in private.

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The court announced that as well as Kolomoiskyi's property, it was also confiscating assets belonging to Pavel Shitov, the former owner of Smolensk Bank.

The court ruling states that the Russian authorities will confiscate billions of roubles worth of Kolomoiskyi's assets, as well as about 500 plots of land in four Russian regions, including some in the Moscow area. Kolomoiskyi has been recognised as an "extremist" for "funding the Armed Forces of Ukraine". The Adygea court accused Kolomoiskyi of supporting the new government of Ukraine after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, working as the head of the Dnipro Oblast State Administration, and providing financial support to Ukrainian armed groups.

Background:

  • On 2 September, Ukraine's Security Service, Economic Security Bureau and Prosecutor General's Office served Ihor Kolomoiskyi with a notice of suspicion under Articles 190 and 209 of the Criminal Code for fraud and legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means. Subsequently, Kolomoiskyi received two more notices of suspicion concerning the withdrawal of a total of UAH 15 billion (approx. US£406 million) from PrivatBank.
  • On 28 November 2023 the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of the city of Kyiv extended Kolomoiskyi's pre-trial restriction to 26 January.

    The restriction is custody with an alternative option of bail of UAH 3.7 billion (about US£105 million). 

  • The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv has extended Kolomoiskyi's custody for another two months until 25 April and reduced the bail amount by UAH 150 million (US£4 million), bringing it to UAH 2.4 billion (around US£62.5 million).

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