The owner of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich, has been sanctioned by the UK government as part of the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to The Telegraph:
“There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin’s vicious assault on Ukraine,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
“Today’s sanctions are the latest step in the UK’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian people. We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of sovereign allies.”
Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has said that Chelsea will still be able to play matches and pay staff, but they will be unable to sell tickets for future matches.
“Putin’s attack on Ukraine continues and we are witnessing new levels of evil by the hour. Today the Government has announced further sanctions against individuals linked to the Russian Government. This list includes Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club,” she said
“Our priority is to hold those who have enabled the Putin regime to account. Today’s sanctions obviously have a direct impact on Chelsea and its fans. We have been working hard to ensure the club and the national game are not unnecessarily harmed by these important sanctions.”
The Government release goes on to say Mr Abramovich has had a “close relationship for decades” with the Russian President.
“This association has included obtaining a financial benefit or other material benefit from Putin and the Government of Russia,” it says.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “Today’s sanctions show once again that oligarchs and kleptocrats have no place in our economy or society. With their close links to Putin they are complicit in his aggression.
“The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang their heads in shame.
The UK government has provided no proof whatsoever that Roman Abramovich has in any way, supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They’ve presented absolutely nothing that demonstrates Ambramovich has enabled the killing of civilians in Ukraine.
This is grand larceny. This is gangsterism. With the stroke of a pen, Boris Johnson has declared that a Russian national is friendly with his country’s President and therefore his businesses can be looted and his assets can be frozen.
Tyranny reigns now. I am sick of saying it. The implication of this, for every one of us, is terrifying.
Imagine a cashless society, where all money is digital and controlled by your country’s central bank.
They’ll do to you and I, what they’ve done to Abramovich today.
You’ve been consorting with the wrong people, account frozen. You’ve been reading and/or distributing subversive materials, account frozen. You’ve been spreading medical misinformation, account frozen. You hold offensive views on gender and biology, account frozen.
And, like Abramovich, you won’t be given the chance to defend yourself or to face your accusers.
Seven months ago PayPal deleted my account. I’d been with them for eleven years. Apparently I’d violated their “acceptable use” terms. I asked, “Which ones?”
Silence. Not a peep. In other words, “You’re banned, now fuck off!”
A PayPal employee who works in Dublin reached out to me privately. She told me that while she didn’t know the exact specifics surrounding the closure of my account, it almost certainly happened because someone emailed PayPal to say that I am not a nice person and that I hold some worrying views.
I complained to the Financial Ombudsman. Last week they (finally) got back to me and said that PayPal had satisfied them that I had done something serious enough to warrant closing the account. I asked for details. The Ombudsman said no.
What a world we live in now.
