Former Everton Football Club director Sarvar Ismailov has lost his High Court challenge against the Foreign Office over continued Russian sanctions tied to his billionaire uncle Alisher Usmanov. Mr Justice Pushpinder Saini ruled the government was uniquely well placed to assess whether sanctions achieve their intended purpose, dismissing arguments that the decision was irrational or capricious.

Ismailov and his brother Sanjar were sanctioned in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine because they are nephews of the Uzbek-Russian oligarch. His barrister argued it was "outrageously unfair" to punish someone simply for being related to Usmanov, noting Ismailov moved to the UK aged 13 and had no political connections in Russia or access to Putin.

The judge's 46-page ruling found maintaining the designation was "plainly connected" with sanctions objectives, accepting it was reasonable to assume Ismailov could exert pressure on his uncle. The decision to keep him sanctioned makes an "important contribution" to the overall cumulative impact on Russia, the ruling stated.