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The £2.5 billion raised from the sale of Chelsea FC is "still frozen" after three years, despite it being committed to humanitarian aid in Ukraine, a legal adviser has said.
Roman Abramovich announced the sale of the Blues in March 2022 amid calls for him to be sanctioned following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions came days later and the sale was completed in May later that year. Abramovich then pledged to divert all proceeds to a foundation to benefit war victims.
But Lyra Nightingale, a legal adviser at the human rights organisation Redress, said the funds remained unused and there was "no clear reason from the government as to why".
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Nightingale said: "We don't know why it's stalled. There's a real lack of transparency and over three years of campaigning for that money to go where the government said it would go, it still hasn't happened."
The House of Lords European Affairs Committee has previously reported that the cash had been frozen in a UK bank account amid "disagreements" over where it should be spent.
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: " This government is working hard to ensure that the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible. The proceeds are currently frozen in a UK bank account, while a new independent foundation has been set up to manage and distribute the money. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners and we will redouble our efforts to reach a solution . "
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