May 3, 2022 - World

Fiji court rules U.S. can seize $325 million Russian superyacht

Jacob Knutson

The Amadea megayacht anchored in Turkey in February 2020. Photo: Osman Uras/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A court in Fiji ruled Tuesday that the U.S. can seize a superyacht worth $325 million that American officials say is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, according to Bloomberg.

Why it matters: The U.S. Department of Justice created a task force in March to enforce sanctions, including asset seizures, placed on Russian officials for facilitating the Kremlin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The ruling sets up a battle over who actually owns the Amadea. Lawyers for Millemarin Investments, the vessel's registered owner, have denied that Kerimov is the owner, Reuters reports.
Kerimov, an official in the Russian government who controls the largest gold producer in the country, has been sanctioned by the U.S. and European Union for money laundering and tax evasion.
If passed by Congress, a plan proposed by the Biden administration would liquidate assets seized from Russian oligarchs and use the proceeds for military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Go deeper: How many Russian oligarchs' yachts have been seized so far

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Fiji court rules U.S. can seize $325 million Russian superyacht

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