A federal court in New York has rejected the Russian businessman Eduard Khudainatov's challenge to the U.S. government's efforts to confiscate the 'Amadea'. The decision brings the United States closer to taking ownership of the yacht through a legal procedure known as civil forfeiture. The ruling likely represents the biggest victory so far in plans started under former President Joe Biden’s administration to seize assets of sanctioned Russian tycoons and use them to support Ukraine’s war effort. On March 10, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that the Russian businessman did not have standing to challenge forfeiture of the yacht because he was not its owner. And because no one else has claimed ownership, the U.S. Department of Justice will now pursue a judgment of forfeiture by default. U.S. prosecutors believe the superyacht that is valued at over $230 million, belongs to Kerimov, a senator, businessman and ally of Vladimir Putin. The court also concluded in legal documents that the evidence suggests that after September 2021, Kerimov or his family exercised ownership of the vessel. In 2018, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Kerimov. The government later alleged he or people acting on his behalf made payments for repairs and upkeep of the yacht that passed through the U.S financial system, which is a violation of those sanctions. The U.S. law enforcement seized the 'Amadea' in 2022. But in 2023, Khudainatov, who is not under U.S. sanctions, claimed ownership interest, setting the stage for a legal battle. In May 2024, U.S. taxpayers have spent more than $740,000 a month on the yacht’s maintenance. Last December, The Washington Post reported that servicing the yacht had cost the country roughly $30 million.
