Support The Moscow Times!

Ombudsman Titov Appeals to Russian Authorities Over Detained Businessmen

Boris Titov Kremlin.ru

Business ombudsman Boris Titov has appealed to federal prosecutors over a group of Russian businessmen currently being held in pre-trial detention.

Russia's business community has expressed growing concern over the pre-trial detention of U.S. investor Michael Calvey, who has been held on embezzlement charges since Feb. 14President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called on prosecutors to stop the “groundless extension of custody terms” for businessmen.

“All too often, the decisions of investigators to... extend [detention] periods are absolutely unjustified,” Titov wrote in a letter to Prosecutor General Yury Chaika, the Vedomosti business newspaper reported Thursday.

In the letter, Titov complained that businessmen are being held on embezzlement charges without trial for as long as three years.

“It’s time to try to restore order,” Titov was quoted by Vedomosti as writing.

Titov listed eight businessmen who he said have been awaiting trial for too long, the anti-corruption news website Pasmi.ru reported.

Chaika has reportedly vowed to look into the cases together with the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, political scientist Mikhail Vinogradov told Vedomosti that even Putin’s unequivocal stance may not speed up the trial dates for the detained businessmen.

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