Sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov removed from EU sanctions list

The sister of the oligarch and former Arsenal football club shareholder Alisher Usmanov has been removed from the EU’s sanctions list, which was compiled in response to the war in Ukraine.

Usmanov’s sister, Saodat Narzieva, was among a number of relatives of Russian officials and oligarchs added to the list in April.

When adding her on the list, the EU cited information included in an investigation by the Guardian and media partners, including the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

Usmanov and Narzieva each filed separate legal appeals in April in an attempt to overturn sanctions that blocked them from travelling across the EU or making use of assets located in member states. Usmanov remains on the list.

Other names removed from the EU list this week include the deceased Russian populist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and Olga Ayziman, ex-wife of the financier Mikhail Fridman.

A spokesperson for Narzieva said: “We have said from the outset that the sanctions against Saodat Narzieva were based on false accusations, which have now been convincingly and unequivocally refuted. We welcome the decision of the council of the EU to remove Ms Narzieva from the EU sanctions list.

“We are also grateful to the Guardian for presenting our position in its publications on the topic, and expect that the information we provided will be taken into account by the UK regulatory authorities in the decision to lift UK sanctions against Ms Narzieva.”

Narzieva was added to the UK sanctions list on 13 April, shortly after her designation by the EU.