A court in New York refused to sell the US government the Amadea yacht, which, according to US authorities, belongs to businessman Suleiman Kerimov, Meduza reports.
The decision was made as part of a larger trial regarding the confiscation of the yacht. Government lawyers have asked to sell the ship, which is now under arrest, as its maintenance during the process costs taxpayers $740,000 a month.
Explaining the decision to refuse, the judge emphasized that in such cases the primary consideration should not be the nominal amount of the costs, but how excessive they are in relation to the standard costs of maintaining such yachts.
The 106-meter yacht Amadea, worth $325 million, was seized in Fiji at the request of the United States in April 2022 under sanctions imposed after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Washington believes that its owner is Suleiman Kerimov. He is under sanctions, and the United States accuses him of violating the sanctions regime – and on this basis they want to confiscate the ship and transfer the proceeds to Ukraine.
According to documents, the owner of the yacht is the former head of Rosneft, Eduard Khudainatov, who is not under sanctions. US authorities consider him a figurehead. Kerimov denies any connection with the yacht.