Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky (R) stands in front of the Russian embassy in London, May 26, 2004. Russia's new prosecutor general said on Tuesday he would continue the Kremlin's long-running battle to extradite some of its most wanted men from Britain.
A year ago, Boris Berezovsky argued that once the authorities had won control over the media, they were bound to go after business. The so-called “YUKOS affair” has forcibly reminded us of this prediction. Sergei Stepashin, head of the Audit Chamber sharply criticized Roman Abramovich, a partner of YUKOS head Mikhail Khodorkovsky, calling Abramovich’s purchase of the British football club Chelsea a challenge to the country. At that same moment, Moscow Independent Broadcasting Corporation (MNVK), owned by Mr. Berezovsky, finally passed to new owners. This may have been just a coincidence. Boris Berezovsky tried to convince Kommersant correspondent Nataliya Gevorkyan that the authorities were acting systematically.
"It will take a long time to undo the damage"-
Do you think that Mr. Khodorkovsky will end up like you in London with suitcase in hand –
In the end, yes.–
And Mr. Nevzlin (Leonid Nevzlin, a major YUKOS shareholder) too?–
Even sooner.–
Well, if you’re right, then Mr. Putin is actually being consistent: if everyone is in London, then they’ll literally be equidistant. You said that by fall, Russian business would be forced to realize the need for joint action, since the authorities would inevitably try to take control of all finances in the state. Were you thinking of what’s happening to YUKOS now?
