Reuters reported the confiscation of $ 5.4 million Malofeev for violating US sanctions

The decision of the court will allow the confiscated funds to be directed to the restoration of Ukraine, the agency writes. Last spring , the United States suspected Malofeev of trying to circumvent sanctions,under which he has been since 2014Konstantin MalofeevKonstantin MalofeevKonstantin MalofeevKonstantin MalofeevKonstantin Malofeev

A court in the United States has ruled to confiscate $5.4 million belonging to Konstantin Malofeev, a businessman and founder of the Tsargrad TV channel, who is under Washington sanctions, Reuters reports.

The agency notes that this is the first such decision since the US Department of Justice created the interagency task force KleptoCapture last spring, tasked with enforcing sanctions and export restrictions against Russia, as well as fighting "corrupt Russian oligarchs." According to Reuters, in the future, this will allow the use of confiscated funds to restore Ukraine, which has suffered from hostilities.

Malofeev has been under US sanctions since 2014. The US authorities suspect him of financing Russian citizens who sought the separation of Crimea from Ukraine. The businessman himself denies these accusations. In 2018, Malofeev said that the sanctions did not affect him much.

The United States accused Malofeev of trying to circumvent Western sanctions Politics

Last April, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Malofeev was trying to circumvent restrictive measures, in particular, he created a scheme for publications controlled by him to operate in Europe. US authorities also intercepted "millions of dollars" that the businessman was supposed to receive from an unnamed US financial institution.

In December, according to Reuters, prosecutors said they had the right to confiscate money from Malofeev's Denver Sunflower Bank account because he "attempted to transfer it to a business partner in violation of US sanctions." Malofeev did not challenge this requirement.

According to the agency, the KleptoCapture group temporarily seized other assets of Russian businessmen, including a $300 million yacht, but the court has not yet issued a confiscation order.

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At the end of last year, the Senate and the House of Representatives approved the US budget for 2023 for $1.66 trillion. It includes an amendment allowing the transfer of confiscated assets of "Russian oligarchs" for humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine. The law was then signed into law by President  Joe Biden .

The Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized Western countries for sanctions and blocking the assets of Russian businessmen, calling it "robbery." Andrey Klishas, ​​head of the Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building of the Federation Council, said that Moscow could respond in a mirror manner to the seizure of foreign state property, but the Constitution would not allow the same response in the event of confiscation of property of individuals.