The head of Russian potash producer Uralkali, extradited to Russia from Belarus last month, has been moved from a detention centre in Moscow to house arrest, the company said.
Baumgertner has been moved to house arrest until Jan. 20, said Sergei Tsygankov, a spokesman for the Moscow department of the Federal Prison Service, Interfax reported late Tuesday.
Vladislav Baumgertner was detained in Minsk in August after Uralkali quit its cartel joint venture with Belaruskali, the state-run producer in Russia's ally Belarus, a move which triggered a drop in prices for the fertilizer that infuriated the former Soviet nation's president, Alexander Lukashenko.
Baumgertner had been charged with abuse of power and embezzlement in Minsk. He was extradited after Russia met Lukashenko's demand for him to be held and investigated in Russia.
Officials in Russia and Ukraine have called for the recreation of the trading cartel, which controlled 40 percent of the $20 billion global potash market, but there has been no public progress with the issue.
The main shareholder in Uralkali, Suleiman Kerimov, recently sold a 21.75 percent stake to Russian tycoon-turned-politician Mikhail Prokhorov, while Belarus-born businessman Dmitry Mazepin's fertilizer firm Uralchem has bought a further 20 percent.
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.
Remind me later.
