Support The Moscow Times!

Deripaska Says Justice System Didn't 'Work Properly' for Pussy Riot

Oleg Deripaska, one of Russia's most influential businessmen, in an interview with the Financial Times criticized Russia's judicial system and economic policy while reiterating his firm support of President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking about Russia's judicial system in an interview published Sunday, Deripaska highlighted its ills by pointing to the Pussy Riot scandal. If the juridical system had "worked properly," he said, the three punk band members would have only been sentenced to 15 days' community service.

Instead, the judicial system put them through a long trial that had to end up with a real sentence in order to be justified. Alternatively, as Deripaska put it, "someone had to cover their [expletive.]"

As the chief executive of Rusal, the world's largest aluminum company, Deripaska lambasted Russia's monetary policy, saying that "Russia will not get any benefit out of World Trade Organization membership unless we pay attention to these issues — the cost of capital and interest [rates]."

The country's banking sector has to be thoroughly reformed, he added, to make loans more accessible to medium and small-scale enterprises, especially in the regions.

Another predicament for economic growth, according to Deripaska, is the rising cost of energy. Referring to the fact that the price of Russian natural gas is now nearly double that in the U.S., he blamed Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom for the situation.

As for the challenge of eradicating corruption in Russia, Deripaska was pessimistic. "There is not enough prison capacity to fight corruption," he said.

Despite being critical of the Russian state and economy, Deripaska confirmed his support of President Putin. "If there would be no Putin, who would run the country now? Of course not Kasparov," he said, referring to the former World Chess Champion and now prominent opposition leader.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

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 every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more