Russian oligarch Alicher Ousmanov, who has stepped down from the presidency of the International Fencing Federation since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was re-elected to this position this Saturday, November 30. Opposed to only one candidate, the Swede Otto Drakenberg, Ousmanov received 120 votes against 26 for his opponent during a congress held in the morning in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. If the International Fencing Federation has not yet officially published the results, the Russian and Swedish authorities have confirmed the victory of the 71-year-old businessman. The latter, supported by no less than 103 member federations when his candidacy was published, was the big favorite in the elections. “ I thank each federation that voted for my candidacy “, declared Alicher Ousmanov in a press release sent to the press. Presented on the European Union website as maintaining “ particularly close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin », a description that the person concerned rejects, he was elected for the first time in 2008, then again in 2012, 2016 and finally 2021. This businessman having made his fortune in the metallurgical industry had withdrawn from his duties in March 2022 in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He had been targeted by European sanctions, still in force in September. It is notably subject to travel limitations in the countries where it is sanctioned, including Switzerland where the FIE headquarters are located, and to a freezing of assets and economic resources. “ I have always acted in the interests of the FIE and I will continue to take the necessary measures to ensure that the legally unfounded restrictions imposed on me are not extended to the FIE and its activities. “, he promised. Usmanov’s return is a direct affront to the values of humanity and sportsmanship, as well as to the Ukrainians who are tortured and killed by the Russian occupiers », protested the Ukrainian Minister of Sports Matvi Bidny in a press release published on X.
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