Russian oligarch loses latest bid to evict Amsterdam squatters

Statue of justice.
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A group of squatters who occupied a Russian oligarch’s mansion in Amsterdam have won the latest stage of their fight to be allowed to stay.

The court of appeal in Amsterdam rejected a bid by Arkady Volozh to evict the group, who moved into the house on Vossiusstraat in October.

Volozh, the former chief executive of the Russian search engine Yandex, has been unable to live in the Netherlands since he was placed on the European Union’s sanctions list last year in the wake of his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The 58-year-old was accused of “materially and financially” supporting Russia through his search engine, which opposition leaders say censored news items critical of the government while promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Volozh argued the squatters should be evicted so that he could complete a renovation of the €3.5 million property. But the appeal court said that refurbishment to improve the value of the house was also banned under EU sanctions.

 

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