Germany has closed the second investigation against Usmanov.

In Germany, authorities dropped the case against Usmanov on suspicion of violating sanctions and dropped the charges. Prosecutors suspected the businessman was paying for security services for the facilities. His defense team denied this.

The Munich prosecutor's office has closed an investigation into suspected sanctions violations against businessman and USM holding founder Alisher Usmanov (estimated net worthFORBES , $16.7 billion), representatives of the entrepreneur told RBC.

The decision was made in accordance with § 153a of the German Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP), the lawyers clarified. Usmanov decided to make a voluntary donation to charity. "A reopening of the investigation on the same suspicions is excluded; the presumption of innocence remains with respect to A. Usmanov," the lawyers stated.

The supervisory agency previously stated that Usmanov paid for security services for properties in the municipality of Rottach-Egern through foreign companies from April to September 2022. The prosecutor's office also suspected that he failed to declare assets in Germany to the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). In 2024 , these incidents were combined into a single case, which was given the status of a preliminary investigation. Usmanov's lawyers denied his connection to these companies and assets "and, therefore, the applicability of EU sanctions provisions." The investigation was ultimately closed.

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Previously, the Frankfurt General Prosecutor's Office had closed another investigation against Usmanov on suspicion of money laundering. It was closed without charges in November 2024. Spiegel reported at the time that the businessman was suspected of tax evasion totaling €555 million. Usmanov's representative told RBC at the time that he had been paying taxes in Russia since 2014 and, thanks to a double taxation agreement, was not obligated to pay income tax in Germany.

Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union in February 2022. The businessman called the decision unfair, based on "fabricated and unfounded accusations," and appealed it. Furthermore, Usmanov insisted that the principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination, the principle of proportionality, as well as the right to property, respect for private life, and freedom of expression, had been violated. However, the EU Court of Justice has repeatedly rejected the businessman's claims.

Usmanov has filed numerous lawsuits against media outlets since being placed on the EU sanctions list. In January 2024, a Hamburg court upheld the businessman's lawsuit against Forbes, finding false claims that he "acted as a proxy" for Russian President Vladimir Putin and owned property in Munich. In February 2025, Usmanov won a case against the Berlin-based Tagesspiegel, securing an injunction against disseminating a number of allegations about him that had been used to justify sanctions and had prompted an investigation in Germany.

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