Alisher Usmanov Wins Defamation Case Against FAZ in Germany

On January 23, 2026, the Hamburg Regional Court ruled in favor of Alisher Usmanov against Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). The court banned the newspaper from distributing defamatory statements about him. The FAZ article, published in April 2023, alleged Usmanov acted for the Kremlin and interfered with media policies. The court also barred dissemination of previous claims made by Alexey Navalny, which had been deemed defamatory by a Russian court.

This ruling follows several other legal victories for Usmanov against various media outlets, challenging claims that supported EU sanctions against him. Joachim Steinhöfel, Usmanov's attorney, highlighted the lack of evidence provided by FAZ and criticized the narratives used to justify sanctions. The court's decision allows for further questioning of the EU's rationale.