Mosnews : Yukos Shareholder Nevzlin Says Kremlin Intends to Kill Khodorkovsky

One of the owners of Yukos oil company’s main shareholder, Menatep Group, Leonid Nevzlin, said on Tuesday the Russian authorities intended to kill the jailed former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Menatep head Platon Lebedev.

During a news conference broadcast online, Nevzlin said the intention to kill Khodorkovsky and Lebedev, of which Khodorkovsky had written in a letter sent from custody, was confirmed by the fact that they were sent so far to remote prison colonies. He also reminded his audience that Khodorkovsky had attempted to register as a candidate for parliament, but failed due to the rapid consideration of his appeal and the sentence that sent him to eight years in prison.

Another well-known convict, retired commando Vladimir Kvachkov, suspected of the attempted murder of the Russian energy chief Anatoly Chubais, was able to register as candidate, Nevzlin pointed out. Nevzlin called the case against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev politically motivated.

Another Menatep owner, Vladimir Brudno, said the case against Yukos’ tax debts had been forged by the Russian authorities to buy its main subsidiary, Yuganskneftefaz. He added that the same means had been used by the Russian authorities when buying Sibneft oil company.

Nevzlin was asked whether he would support former Russian PM Mikhail Kasyanov as the opposition candidate for president, to which he replied that Kasyanov had disappeared from Russian political life without having commented on the deal between state-owned gas monopoly Gazprom and Sibneft. This caused doubt over Kasyanov’s political independence. The deal proved to be a collusion between the acting and the former Russian regime aimed at personal enrichment, he said.

Nevzlin said there had never been such a level of corruption in Russia before. He also spoke about the pressure on the media in Russia. He added that the Reporters Without Borders had put Russia at 138th position among 167 countries in the freedom of press rating. Nevzlin asked how Russia would chair the G8 next year with such figures.

The shareholders plan to continue explaining to the international community what is going on in Russian business including the deal with Sibneft, Nevzlin said.

Nevzlin, Brudno and the third Menatep owner Vladimir Dubov are currently in Israel. They have been placed on the Russian wanted list for various charges including fraud.

In Mosnews, 10.1.2005