Russia issues international arrest warrant for Putin critic Khodorkovsky

[GennGreymane]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...c-khodorkovsky

Russia has issued an international arrest warrant for Mikhail Khodorkovsky as Moscow ramped up the pressure on the leading critic of Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this month the investigative committee, which reports directly to the Russian president, charged the former oil tycoon in absentia with organising the 1998 murder of a mayor in Siberia, a move supporters say is aimed at silencing the exiled Kremlin critic.

Khodorkovsky, 52, was also charged with the attempted murders of two other people.

Investigative committee spokesman Vladimir Markin confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that an international arrest warrant had been issued for Khodorkovsky, who lives abroad and spends much of his time in London.

“They’ve gone mad,” Khodorkovsky said in a statement released by his opposition group, Open Russia.

He said an order to have him arrested in absentia compared favourably with a new law that would allow Russian police to fire at women and children.

“And what’s most important, it will be safe for the public,” he said.

His spokeswoman, Kulle Pispanen, dismissed the announcement as political pressure and said it would not affect the former head of bankrupt oil giant Yukos.

“Mikhail Borisovich will by no means limit his movements because of the hysterical actions of the Kremlin ghouls,” Pispanen told AFP, referring to the former business magnate by his first name and patronymic.

Markin on Wednesday reiterated the charges against Khodorkovsky.

Khodorkovsky’s lawyer, Vadim Klyuvgant, said it was up to other countries to decide whether to comply with the warrant.

Speaking on Echo of Moscow radio, he called the arrest announcement “another bout of fraudulent activities”.

On Tuesday, investigators raided the apartments of employees of Open Russia, a group set up to help nurture civil society in the country, as well as its offices.

The searches appeared to be connected to a 2003 case that led to the criminal prosecution of Khodorkovsky, one of Russia’s most powerful oligarchs, and the dismemberment of Yukos, which have become defining events in Putin’s presidency.

The investigative committee has said it is also checking the information provided in foreign courts by shareholders of now-bankrupt Yukos, who are seeking $50bn (£34bn) in damages from Russia and have convinced a Paris appeals court to back the freezing of Russian assets in France.

Khodorkovsky’s staff and supporters ridiculed the raids that took place on Tuesday.

“In revenge for the arrest of Russian property in France, the investigative committee arrested Kulle Pispanen’s MacBook and iPhone, a letter to Father Christmas and a portrait of Khodorkovsky,” Maria Baronova, an Open Russia employee, said on Facebook.

Khodorkovsky spent a decade in prison on charges of tax evasion, fraud and embezzlement, which he and his supporters say were trumped up in revenge for his political ambitions.

He was suddenly pardoned by Putin in 2013 and flown out of the country.

Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, insisted on Wednesday that there was no contradiction between the president’s move to pardon the ex-tycoon and the arrest warrant.

When investigators announced earlier this month that they planned to press new charges against Khodorkovsky, he called a news conference in London, saying revolution in Russia was inevitable.

“The investigation is looking into who stole Yukos shares,” Khodorkovsky said on Twitter on Tuesday.

“Let me give you a tip,” he added in a posting with a picture of the Kremlin.

[Deleted]

How many nations have
extradition treatys with russia?

[Independent voter]

Why don't they just assassinate him like they did Trotsky?

[Charge me Doctor]

I don't like how Khodorkovsky is called a "critic". He is just another corrupt businessman who bit off more than he can chew and now (well, to be fair, like any sane person would do) tries to whitewash his name. Just to make it clear - he was never "opposing" the government, until he've got stupidly rich, his schemes floated up to the surface and now, all of the sudden, he is "oppositionist", "critic" and pretty much victim of evil Putin regime.

Pathetic.

[Deleted]

I don't like how Khodorkovsky is called a "critic". He is just another corrupt businessman who bit off more than he can chew and now (well, to be fair, like any sane person would do) tries to whitewash his name

His crime was calling out the corruption you know that.

[Charge me Doctor]

His crime was calling out the corruption you know that.

His crime was being part of this corruption, not calling it out. You can't benefit from corruption and then call it out while keeping all benefits of it.

[Tripz]

I'll just side with Russia on this one, in hopes for asylum some day

[Deleted]

His crime was being part of this corruption, not calling it out. You can't benefit from corruption and then call it out while keeping all benefits of it.

He was part of the corruption but broke the rule of not calling the other crows out.

Still ends with russia having a corrupt system.

[Charge me Doctor]

He was part of the corruption but broke the rule of not calling the other crows out.

Still ends with russia having a corrupt system.

I don't know these "rules" you are talking about, but he was definitely either incompetent enough to not prepare measures to be safe after whistleblowing (which is highly unlikely for a businessman who works in corrupt field (aka oil industry)), or he pissed off people by being too greedy, or whatever other reasons could be.

Every system is corrupt, it's very naive to think that it isn't. You will be surprised how often people in charge of things sign up papers while not even reading what is written in them, which is, basically, first step of corruption ladder.

It just baffles me, when someone who is not worth billions of dollars is caught with bribes or other corruption-related crimes - they get jailed, but this guy is some sort of a martyr

[Deleted]

The russian fallacy thinking all systems are equally corrupt.

[Charge me Doctor]

The russian fallacy thinking all systems are equally corrupt.

I'm not sure where you've got "equally" from. But i'm sure that what i'm saying triggers some denying in deep of your soul. But seriously, if you think that non-Russian-oil-related-companies are white lambs - you are so fucking mistaken, it's, basically, same, as thinking that earth is flat in the modern world, with all evidence showing that oil industry is highly corrupt and shady. Starting from bombing "green" energy sources researches, ending with working with terrorists.

[Deleted]

See we have all that top layer stuff with revolving doors and lobbyism but the low level corruption bullshit that is extremely different.

And it is not said that our chanclor stole themself to be the richest person in the world.

[Thunderball]

He's not Putin's critic. He's 1) a convicted criminal 2) one of the oligarchs who ruled Russia before Putin came to power. Go figure his motives.

His crime was calling out the corruption you know that.

He got into politics after he was released from jail. The only corruption we can call out is of his business partners and his own.

[Omgodzilla]

Why don't they just assassinate him like they did Trotsky?

Why not? The less corrupt business people we have in this world, the better. Just because he's a critic of Putin, doesn't absolve him of his crimes.

[Girrag]

His crime was calling out the corruption you know that.

No. He's ruthless theif from 90s. There were no way to become rich without being one back then.

- - - Updated - - -

He got into politics after he was released from jail. The only corruption we can call out is of his business partners and his own.

He got into politics back in Yeltsin times. One of "seven bankers". Back then those guys had government in their own pockets and used it to their own benefits.

[Deleted]

Maybe they're just copying the United States behaviour. Finland and many other countries has given up these so called "criminals" to U.S. , like Kim Dotcom for years now. Some little twat from G.B. was delivered to states just for sharing files in the internet.

Law is a law, but how can it be so that you can provide/execute it in other countries just like that? By contracts.

But when those are made? No one seems to care.

This is bullshit from both sides. And even from the middle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Dotcom

[announced]

Why don't they just assassinate him like they did Trotsky?

they probly will once they get him into jail.

[petok]

"Putin critic Khodorkovsky" is like "prostitutes critic Jack the Ripper"

[Elim Garak]

On what income does he live in London? I bet the stolen Yukos money.

[Revi]

Corrupt Oligarch and one of the richest men in the world, suspected on a whole bunch of financial crimes and organizing a murder, and served multiple sentences.

Turned "good guy" in 2013/2014, while still somehow doubling his fortune in those years.

I'm going to take the "prosecuted martyr" story with a big pinch of salt.