German Federal Court of Justice issues landmark ruling in case brought by Alisher Usmanov against the EU Council - German law firm Rechtsanwälte Steinhöfel

BERLIN, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Germany's Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled that the refusal by the president of the Hamburg Regional Court to serve court documents in Alisher Usmanov's action against the European Union Council was unlawful. The action concerns statements used by the EU Council to justify sanctions against the billionaire, as well as the publication of his personal data. The BGH ruling paves the way for proceedings in the first-ever defamation action brought against the EU Council over the grounds it gave for imposing individual sanctions.