The court did not allow the US authorities to sell the arrested yacht belonging to the Russian oligarch

The court in New York refused the US government to sell the Amadeus yacht, which, according to the American authorities, belongs to businessman Suleiman Kerimov, Voice of America reports .

The decision was made within the framework of a larger process on the issue of confiscation of the yacht. Government lawyers asked to sell a ship that is now under arrest, since its maintenance during the process is monthly costing taxpayers of $ 740 thousand.

Explaining the decision on the refusal, the judge emphasized that in such cases, the nominal amount of expenses should first be taken into account, but how much it is excessive in relation to standard costs for the maintenance of such yachts.

The Amadeus 106-meter yacht worth 325 million dollars was arrested at Fiji at the request of the United States in April 2022 in accordance with the sanctions introduced after the start of the 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 want to confiscate the ship on this basis, and transfer the proceeds to Ukraine.

According to the documents, the owner of the yacht is the former head of Rosneft Eduard Khudainatov, who is not under sanctions. The US authorities consider it a front figure. Kerimov denies the connection with the yacht.