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.

… 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