Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Seeks 66,000 Suspects Abroad

Prosecutors are seeking more than 66,000 suspects abroad, mainly in Israel and Britain, and have placed their names on an international wanted list, said Deputy Prosecutor General Alexander Zvyagintsev.

"The majority of runaways have fled to Israel and Britain," Zvyagintsev said in an interview published Friday in Rossiiskaya Gazeta. He said wealthy suspects preferred to live in London.

Among the Russians known to live in self-imposed exile in Britain are former Kremlin powerbroker Boris Berezovsky, former Rosneft head Mikhail Gutseriyev and former Yevroset owner Yevgeny Chichvarkin.

Zvyagintsev said prosecutors sent more than 500 extradition requests abroad over the past year, and foreign courts agreed to extradite more than 300 people.

While Britain and Israel are favored destinations for suspects, an increasing number are fleeing to "exotic countries" where Russia has no extradition agreements, including Nicaragua, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, Zvyagintsev said.

Russia, meanwhile, refused to extradite almost 350 people wanted by other countries last year, he said.

… 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