French justice has ordered the seizure of luxurious assets of the family and associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin in France. A residence in Anglet, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, belonging to his ex-wife, and an apartment belonging to the former Kremlin spokesperson are added to other assets.
They are accused of possible money laundering, reported French Justice. The property, taken into custody on December 6, 2023, is at the center of a preliminary investigation, launched in September 2022, "related to the aggravated money laundering," according to the Paris prosecutor's office, which also confirms that it is a "file opened following a complaint from the non-governmental organization.' The prestigious newspaper Le Monde reported that two new assets had been added, and it has been confirmed by the Paris prosecutor's office. It is an Art Deco style residence, located 300 meters from the beach of Las Dunes. It has been presented as the property of Lioudmila Putina, wife of the Russian president from 1983 to 2013. Russia's assets frozen throughout France in reaction to the war in Ukraine. Bank accounts, luxury villas, works of art, helicopters... the estimated value of these fixed assets is around 24 billion euros. 1,091 people and 80 entities are on the European Union's blacklist. All are subject to an asset freeze, and European citizens and companies are prohibited from transferring money to them. In the absence of a criminal offense, the State cannot become the owner of these assets. Still, according to Bruno Le Maire, these asset freezing operations are supposed to harm Russia, harm the Russian State, harm Vladimir Putin. In France, asset confiscation is highly regulated and allows for numerous remedies. Apart from two cargo ships and a yacht, which were seized, the Russian assets cited by the Ministry of Economy were simply frozen, so that their owners could no longer use them, resell them, or monetize them. There we found members of the Russian government and administration, as well as businessmen and personalities identified as supporters of Putin.