Support The Moscow Times!

Crimean Blockade Organizer Tried to Hide Assets - Poklonskaya

Crimea's Chief Prosecutor Natalya Poklonskaya Kremlin Press Service

Crimean Prosecutor General Natalya Poklonskaya has revealed a series of deals set up to help Lenur Islyamov — one of the coordinators of the so-called food blockade of Crimea — hide ownership of his Crimean assets, the TASS news agency wrote Wednesday.

Poklonskaya told reporters that Islyamov “took steps to transfer [Crimean] assets to his affiliates. These attempts were made after his attitude toward Russia had changed sharply.”

She added that Crimean law enforcement agencies were looking into the case, and would “take action” to seize the assets and detain their owner.

On Sept. 20, Islyamov took part in initiating a blockade of the peninsula, which saw Crimean Tatar activists preventing trucks carrying goods from mainland Ukraine from entering Crimea, Russian media reported.

Crimean authorities have already confiscated real estate owned by Islyamov on the peninsula's southern coast, and announced the forfeiture of all his declared assets as part of a criminal case lodged against him, the website Lenta.ru wrote Wednesday.

On Nov. 2, TASS reported that an investigation into the enterprises controlled by Islyamov had been launched in Crimea, quoting the press service of the local department of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

Islyamov, who holds Russian citizenship, served as deputy prime minister of Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea prior to the peninsula's annexation by Russia in March 2014.

He currently controls the local SimCity Trans transportation company and the ATR TV channel, which has stopped broadcasting in Russia, according to news reports.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more