Boris Berezovsky
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Robot - Removing category Jewish businesspeople per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 July 8]].
[[Image:Boris Berezovsky.jpg|thumb|Boris Berezovsky]]
{{otheruses4|1=the Russian businessman|2=the Russian pianist|3=Boris Berezovsky (pianist)}}
'''Boris Abramovich Berezovsky''' ({{lang-ru|Бори́с Абра́мович Березо́вский}}) (also known as Platon Elenin) (born [[January 23]], [[1946]]), is a [[Russia]]n business man, billionaire and former [[mathematician]]. He is best known for his role as a [[Business oligarchs|Russian oligarch]], media tycoon and politician during the presidency of [[Boris Yeltsin]] in the 1990s. He has been described by critics as the epitome of Russian "robber capitalism", but he denies having ever taken part in the violence that tainted Russian business during that era.<ref name=profile/> Berezovsky was at the height of his power in the later Yeltsin years, when he was deputy secretary of Russia's security council, a friend of Boris Yeltsin's daughter Tatyana, and a member of the Yeltsin inner circle, or "family".<ref name=profile/>
Berezovsky made his fortune importing [[Mercedes]] cars into Russia in the 1990s and setting himself up as a middleman distributing cars made by Russia's [[Avtovaz]]. As well as taking ownership of the [[Sibneft]] oil company, he became the main shareholder in the country's main television channel, [[Channel One (Russia)|ORT]], which he turned into a [[propaganda]] vehicle for Boris Yeltsin in the run-up to the [[Russian presidential election, 1996|1996 presidential election]]. Although he helped [[Vladimir Putin]] enter the "family", and funded the party that formed Putin's parliamentary base, Putin moved to regain control of the ORT television station, and to curb the political ambitions of Russia's oligarchs, who were extremely unpopular with the average Russian.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,1655229,00.html
What a carve-up!] [[The Guardian]] Retrieved on April 5, 2008</ref>
After the [[Russian presidential election, 2000|ascent of Putin to the Russian presidency]], Berezovsky went into opposition and later fled to avoid arrest to the [[United Kingdom]] where he was granted [[political asylum]]. He has since publicly stated that he is on a mission to bring down Putin "by force".<ref name=los/><ref name=profile>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6708103.stm Profile: Boris Berezovsky] [[BBC News]] Retrieved on April 5, 2008</ref> In the UK, he became associated with [[Akhmed Zakayev]], [[Alexander Litvinenko]] and [[Alexander Goldfarb (microbiologist)|Alex Goldfarb]] in what has become known as "the [[London]] Circle" of Russian [[exile]]s. He is a founder of [[International Foundation for Civil Liberties]].
Berezovsky has been accused by Russian authorities of being involved in the murders of several other leading critics of the Putin's regime, including [[Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation|FSB]] [[defector]] [[Alexander Litvinenko]] and journalist [[Anna Politkovskaya]], in an attempt to destabilize the country and discredit Putin. [[Arrest warrants]] for him have been issued in [[Russia]]<ref name=r/> and [[Brazil]]<ref name=b/> for allegations of [[fraud]], [[embezzlement]] and [[money laundering]], and he is currently under investigation by [[:de:Schweizerische_Bundesanwaltschaft|Swiss federal prosecutors]] for money laundering.<ref name=s/>
Berezovsky survived an assassination attempt in 1994 unharmed. There have been several other alleged assassination attempts on him which he accuses Russian agents of carrying out.
==Early life and scientific research==
Berezovsky was born in 1946 in [[Moscow]] to a [[Jew]]ish father.<ref name="wp001">Communist Party Leader Attacks Jews. ''[[The Washington Post]]'', [[December 25]], [[1998]]</ref> He studied [[forestry]] and then [[applied mathematics]], receiving his [[doctorate]] in 1983. He did research on [[Optimization (mathematics)|optimization]] and [[control theory]], publishing 16 books and articles between 1975 and 1989. He became a [[corresponding member]] of the [[Russian Academy of Sciences]] in 1991, and the chair of a laboratory in its [[Institute of Control Sciences]]. His [[Erdős number]] is 4.
==Business and political career in Russia==
{{POV-section|date=June 2008}}
Berezovsky started in [[business]] in 1989 under ''[[perestroika]]'' by buying and reselling automobiles from state manufacturer [[AutoVAZ]]. Officially, Berezovsky was called upon as an expert in development of optimized system of management of the enterprise. In 1992, a new middleman company, LogoVAZ, was created with Berezovsky as its [[president]]. LogoVAZ became an exclusive [[consignment]] dealer of AutoVAZ, enabling a scheme (named ReExport) in which cars were sold abroad and then bought back for sale on the internal market. Frequently, however, cars were not exported at all and the operations on export and import remained only on paper. In another shady business, May 1994, Berezovsky became head of the notorious Automobile All-Russia alliance "АVVА" ("АВВА" in Russian Cyrillic) and became known as the initiator of "the national car" project. This enterprise turned out to be merely a financial [[pyramid scheme]], as shares of a nonexistent factory which has never been constructed were sold to the investors.
Berezovsky was a leading proponent of political and economic [[liberalism|liberalization]] in Russia. He has frequently entered into politics by investing in the liberal media (his holdings included the television channels [[Channel One (Russia)|ORT]] and [[TV6 Russia|TV6]], along with the newspapers ''[[Nezavisimaya Gazeta]]'', ''[[Novye Izvestiya]]'' and ''[[Kommersant]]''), financing liberal candidates, making political statements, and even seeking office himself. He was briefly executive secretary of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (CIS) and later a member of the [[State Duma]] (Russia's lower house of [[parliament]]).
In the position of the deputy secretary of the [[Security Council of Russia]],<ref>[http://www.nupi.no/cgi-win/Russland/krono.exe?1371 Chechen leaders deplore dismissal of Berezovskiy], NUPI, 07.11.1997</ref> Berezovsky was also involved in talks on freeing Russian and foreign hostages kidnapped in [[Chechnya]] and allegedly transferred large sums of money in exchange for hostages. In 1997, he delivered $2 million of governmental money in cash to [[Shamil Basayev]], who was then in charge of the post-war reconstruction of Chechnya. Berezovsky had strong ties with [[Chechen people|Chechens]] through their Moscow [[diaspora]] connections. He said that he "saved at least fifty people, who otherwise would have been killed; most of them were simple soldiers. And believe me, all of this was strictly official, with the full knowledge and consent of the Kremlin."<ref name="dissident"/> However, Chechen president [[Aslan Maskhadov]] accused Berezovsky and the Russian government of collusion with the hostage-takers.<ref name="dissident"/>
During the presidency of [[Boris Yeltsin]] from 1991 to 1999, Berezovsky was among the businessmen who gained access to the president. He used his political clout to acquire stakes in state companies including AutoVAZ itself, the state airline [[Aeroflot]], and several oil properties that he organized into [[Sibneft]], paying a mere fraction of the companies' [[book value]]s. Berezovsky established a bank to finance his operations and acquired several news media holdings as well. These media holdings provided essential support for [[Russian presidential election, 1996|Yeltsin's re-election]] in 1996.
Berezovsky admitted that he had a conversation with the Chechen [[Islamism|Islamist]] leader [[Movladi Udugov]] in 1999, six months before the beginning of [[Invasion of Dagestan (1999)|fighting in Dagestan]].<ref name="Dissident">[[Alexander Goldfarb (microbiologist)|Alex Goldfarb]], with Marina Litvinenko ''[[Death of a dissident|Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB]]'', The Free Press, 2007, ISBN 1-416-55165-4, page 216. </ref> A transcript of the phone conversation between Berezovsky and Udugov was leaked to one of Moscow tabloids on [[September 10]] [[1999]].<ref> "Death of a Dissident", page 189.</ref> Udugov proposed to start the Dagestan war to provoke the Russian response, topple the Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov and establish new Islamic republic of Basayev-Udugov that would be friendly to Russia. Berezovsky asserted that he refused the offer, but "Udugov and Basayev conspired with [[Sergei Stepashin|Stepashin]] and Putin to provoke a war to topple Maskhadov..., but the agreement was for the Russian army to stop at the [[Terek River]]. However, Putin double-crossed the Chechens and started an all-out war."<ref name="Dissident"/>
According to [[Alexander Goldfarb (microbiologist)|Alex Goldfarb]], Berezovsky secured [[Vladimir Putin]]'s appointment to the [[Prime Minister]] position as a result of a secret agreement, where Putin promised his loyalty to Yeltsin and his closest circle including Berezovsky himself.<ref name="dissident"/> On [[June 15]], [[2000]], ''[[The Times]]'' reported that [[Spain|Spanish]] police discovered Putin had secretly visited a villa in Spain belonging to Berezovsky on up to five different occasions in 1999.<ref>{{cite news | first=Giles | last=Tremlett | title=Leader's secret holidays to Spain | date=[[June 15]] [[2000]] | publisher =''[[The Times]]'' | url=http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/4379.html##5 | accessdate = 2007-04-29| language =English}}</ref> According to [[Ramzan Kadyrov]], Berezovsky was strongly opposed to the [[Second Chechen War]] but nevertheless supported Putin's [[Russian presidential election, 2000|2000 presidential campaign]]. However Putin later broke the agreement, allegedly when he was infuriated by the critical coverage of the [[Russian submarine Kursk explosion]] by [[Channel One (Russia)|Russian ORT TV channel]] owned by Berezovsky. Putin forced Berezovsky to sell his ORT shares, partly in exchange for promising to free [[Nikolai Glushkov]], a former manager of Aeroflot company and close associate of Berezovsky, according to Goldfarb.<ref name="dissident"/>
While in Russia, Berezovsky survived several [[assassination]] attempts,<ref name=finn>{{cite news | first=Mary | last=Jordan | coauthors= Peter Finn | title=Russian Billionaire's Bitter Feud With Putin A Plot Line in Poisoning | date=[[December 9]] [[2006]] | publisher = ''The Washington Post'' | url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/08/AR2006120800446_2.html | accessdate = 2006-12-09| language = English }}</ref> including one in which a [[car bomb]] decapitated the [[chauffeur]] of his [[Mercedes-Benz 600]] in 1994.
==Exile in Britain==
Russia neither welcomed Berezovsky's views on [[Chechnya]], nor his political clout and opened investigations into Berezovsky's business activities. Fearing arrest, Berezovsky fled to London in 2001, where he was granted [[Right of asylum|political asylum]]. He has been charged with [[fraud]] and [[political corruption]], but British courts have rejected all three attempts to get him extradited to Russia.<ref name=time>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1354681.ece Send Berezovsky back and we'll help with Litvinenko case, says Russia] [[Times Online]] Retrieved on April 6, 2008</ref> From his new home in the U.K., he has strongly criticized the current Russian administration.
In 2003 Boris Berezovsky formally changed his name to Platon Elenin ("Platon" being [[Russian language|Russian]] for [[Plato]], and Elena is the name of his wife) in the British courts. No reason has been given - but Platon is the name of the lead character in a film ''[[Tycoon (2002 film)|Tycoon]]'' based on his life. In December 2003 he was allowed to travel under his new name to [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], provoking a row between Russia and Georgia.
In recent years, Berezovsky has gone into business with [[Neil Bush]], the younger brother of [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]]. Berezovsky has been an investor in Bush's [[Ignite!|Ignite! Learning]], an educational software corporation, since at least 2003. In 2005, Neil Bush met with Berezovsky in [[Latvia]], causing tension with Russia due to Berezovsky's fugitive status.<ref>[http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/13659/ Berezovsky, Neil Bush, Latvian businessmen meet], ''[[Times]]'', Sep 23, 2005</ref> Neil Bush has also been seen in Berezovsky's box at the [[Emirates Stadium]], the home of British soccer club [[Arsenal F.C.]], for a game.<ref>[http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1864950,00.html Berezovsky and Bush's brother in the crowd at the Emirates], ''[[The Guardian]]'', September 5, 2006</ref> There has been speculation in the English language ''[[Moscow Times]]'' that the relationship may cause tension in Russo-American bilateral relations.<ref>[http://www.ncrp.org/AR-100605-MoscowTimes.asp Berezovsky Teams Up With Bush's Brother], ''[[The Moscow Times]]'', Ocober 06, 2005</ref>
===Involvement in Ukraine 2004 Presidential election===
In September 2005, soon after the [[Ukrainian government]] led by prime minister [[Yulia Tymoshenko]] was dismissed by president [[Viktor Yushchenko]], former president of the Ukraine [[Leonid Kravchuk]] accused Berezovsky of financing Yushchenko's presidential election campaign, and provided copies of documents showing money transfers from companies he said are controlled by Berezovsky to companies controlled by Yuschenko's official backers. Berezovsky has confirmed that he met Yushchenko's representatives in London before the election, and that the money was transferred from his companies, but he refused to confirm or deny that the companies that received the money were used in Yushchenko's campaign. Financing of election campaigns by foreign citizens is illegal in Ukraine.<ref>{{ru icon}} [http://lenta.ru/articles/2005/09/15/money/ 25.01.2006 Пан Березовский вершит историю Украины]</ref> According to [[BBC]]'s ''The Russian Godfathers'',<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_KB6mOCrSE&feature=related The Russian Godfathers, episode 1 part 2] [[BBC]] Retrieved on April 10, 2008</ref> Berezovsky poured millions into sustaining the spontaneous demonstrations and was in daily contact with the key opposition leaders during the [[Orange Revolution]].
In September 2007, Berezovsky launched [[lawsuit]]s against two Ukrainian politicians, [[Oleksandr Tretyakov]], a former presidential aid, and [[David Zhvaniya]], a former emergencies minister.<ref>[http://unian.net/eng/news/news-210416.html Two Our Ukraine lawmakers summoned to court upon Berezovskiy`s lawsuit], ''[[UNIAN]]'', [[September 3]], [[2007]].</ref> Berezovsky is suing the men for nearly $23 million US, accusing them of misusing the money he had allocated in 2004 to fund the Orange Revolution.
===Controversial statements===
In September 2005, Berezovsky said in an interview with the [[BBC]]: "I'm sure that Putin doesn't have the chance to survive, even to [[Russian presidential election, 2008|the next election in 2008]]. I am doing everything in my power to limit his timeframe, and I am really thinking of returning to Russia after Putin collapses, which he will."<ref name=los>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4286284.stm Losing power: Boris Berezovsky] [[BBC News]] Retrieved on April 5, 2008</ref> In January 2006, Berezovsky stated in an interview to a Moscow-based radio station that he was working on overthrowing the administration of Vladimir Putin by force.<ref>{{ru icon}} [http://echo.msk.ru/news/290978.html 18:21 : Борис Березовский в течение последних 1,5 лет готовит силовой захват власти в России. Опальный олигарх считает, что все перемены будет осуществлять активное меньшинство.]</ref>
On [[April 13]], [[2007]], in an interview with the British newspaper ''[[The Guardian]]'', Berezovsky declared that he is plotting the violent overthrow of President Putin by financing and encouraging coup plotters in Moscow: "We need to use force to change this regime. It isn't possible to change this regime through democratic means. There can be no change without force, pressure."'<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2056321,00.html 'I am plotting a new Russian revolution'], ''The Guardian'', [[April 13]], [[2007]] </ref> He also admitted that during the last six years he struggled much to "destroy the positive image of Putin" and said that "Putin has created an [[authoritarian regime]] against the [[Russian constitution]]. (...) I don't know how it will happen, but authoritarian regimes only collapse by force."<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070413/ap_on_re_eu/russia_britain_berezovsky Kremlin foe calls for Putin's Ouster], [[Yahoo! News]], [[April 13]], [[2007]].</ref>
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has launched a criminal investigation against Berezovsky to find whether his comments can be considered a "seizure of power by force", as outlined in the [[Russian Criminal Code]]. If convicted, an offender is facing up to 20 years of imprisonment.
The [[British Foreign Office]] denounced Berezovsky's statements, warning him that his status of a political refugee may be reconsidered, should he continue to make similar remarks. Furthermore, [[Scotland Yard]] had announced that it would investigate whether Berezovsky's statements were in violation of the law.<ref>[http://www.kommersant.com/p-10534/Berezovsky Scotland Yard to Examine Berezovsky’s Interview], ''[[Kommersant]]'', [[April 14]], [[2007]].</ref> However in the following July, the [[Crown Prosecution Service]] announced that Berezovsky would not face charges in the UK for his comments. Kremlin officials called it a "disturbing moment" in Anglo-Russian relations.<ref>Anglo-Russian relations [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jul/19/russia.world] Retrieved on April 7 2008</ref>
====The Other Russia's response====
[[Image:Disconsented4.jpg|thumb|300px|A teenager is carrying sign ''"Berezovsky, we are with you!"'' during police attack on a 2007 [[Dissenters March]] in [[Saint Petersburg]]; The Other Russia organizers said that this slogan was a [[provocation]] carried out by pro-government youth groups<ref>[http://www.apn-spb.ru/news/print560.htm Новые подробности по Маршу несогласных.]</ref>]]
Soon after Berezovsky's statement (see above), [[Garry Kasparov]], an important figure of the oppositional movement [[The Other Russia]] and leader of the [[United Civil Front]], wrote the following on his official website:
<blockquote>"Berezovsky has lived in emigration for many years and no longer has significant influence upon the political processes which take place in Russian society. His extravagant proclamations are simply a method of attracting attention. Furthermore, for the overwhelming majority of Russians he is a political symbol of the 90s, one of the "bad blokes" enriching themselves behind the back of president Yeltsin. The informational noise around Berezovsky is specifically beneficial for the Kremlin, which is trying to compromise Russia's real opposition. Berezovsky has not had and does not have any relation to Other Russia or the United Civil Front."<ref>{{ru icon}} [http://www.kasparov.ru/material.php?id=462668EB23D6F Неудобные вопросы]</ref></blockquote>
Berezovsky responded in June 2007 by saying that "there is not one significant politician in Russia whom he has not financed" and that this included members of Other Russia. The managing director of the United Civil Front, in turn, said that the organization would consider suing Berezovsky over these allegations.<ref>[http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070628/68006393.html Russia's United Civic Front may sue Berezovsky over funding claims]</ref>
===Alleged assassination attempts in London===
====Alleged 2003 plot====
According to [[Alexander Litvinenko]], a Russian [[Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)|SVR]] agent in London was making preparations to assassinate Berezovsky with a [[binary weapon]] in September 2003. This alleged plot was reported to British police.<ref name="dissident"> [[Alexander Goldfarb (microbiologist)|Alex Goldfarb]] and Marina Litvinenko. ''[[Death of a dissident]]: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB'', The Free Press (2007) ISBN 1-416-55165-4 </ref> [[Hazel Blears]], then a [[Home Office]] Minister, said that inquiries made [into these claims] were "unable to either substantiate this information or find evidence of any criminal offences having been committed".<ref>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040113/text/40113w08.htm#40113w08.html_spnew7]</ref> Berezovsky in turn later accused Putin of ordering the deadly [[Alexander Litvinenko poisoning|poisoning of Litvinenko]].<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=HFEWWMHWC1HKDQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2006/11/19/npoison119.xml Putin tried to kill my friend, claims Russian billionaire], ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'', 19/11/2006</ref>
This was not the first alleged plot to murder Berezovsky that had been announced by Litvinenko. On [[November 17]] [[1998]], during the period that Vladimir Putin was the [[Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation#Heads of the FSB or equivalent|head of the FSB]], five high-ranking officers of FSB's Directorate for the Analysis of Criminal Organisations appeared at a [[News conference|press conference]] in the Russian [[Interfax]] news agency. The officers, including the then-[[Lieutenant Colonel]] Litvinenko, accused the head of the Directorate and his deputy of ordering them to assassinate Boris Berezovsky and the FSB officer [[Mikhail Trepashkin]] in November 1997.
====Alleged 2007 plot====
In June 2007 Berezovsky said he fled Britain on the advice of Scotland Yard, amid reports that he was the target of an assassination
attempt by a suspected Russian [[hitman]]. On [[July 18]] [[2007]], British [[tabloid]]'' [[The Sun]]'' reported that the alleged would-be assassin was captured by the police at the [[Hilton Hotel]] in [[Park Lane (road)|Park Lane]].<ref name="foil">[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2094719.ece Security services ‘foil plot to kill Berezovsky at the London Hilton’], ''The Times'', July 18, 2007</ref><ref name=ooo>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6905271.stm Man questioned over tycoon 'plot] [[BBC News]] Retrieved on April 5, 2008</ref> They reported that the suspect, arrested by the anti-terrorist police after being tracked for a week by [[MI5]], was [[deportation|deported]] back to Russia when no weapons were found and there was not enough evidence to charge him with any offence.<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2782504.ece The plot to kill Boris Berezovsky], ''[[The Independent]]'', 29 November 2007</ref> In addition, they said British police placed a squad of uniformed officers around the Chechen [[dissident]] [[Akhmed Zakayev]]'s house in north London, and also phoned Litvinenko's widow, Marina, to urge her to take greater security precautions.<ref name=g>[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2132120,00.html Police feared assassination for two Russian dissidents], ''The Guardian'', July 22, 2007</ref> Russia's [[ambassador]] to the UK, [[Yuri Fedotov]], said he was not aware of any such plot and told [[BBC Radio 4]]'s [[Today programme]] there was "nothing that could confirm" the plot, although British police did confirm that they had arrested a suspect in an alleged murder plot.<ref name="police"/>
Berezovsky said he was told the assassin would be someone he knew, who would shoot him in the head and then surrender to the police. He again accused Vladimir Putin of being behind a plot to assassinate him.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/19/wrussia119.xml Boris Berezovsky: 'Putin behind plot to kill me'], ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'', 23/07/200</ref> The Kremlin has denied similar claims in the past.<ref name="police">[http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/07/19/001.html Police Back Berezovsky Murder Story], ''[[The Moscow Times]]'', July 19, 2007</ref> According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', there is speculation that Berezovsky leaked details of the alleged attempt to kill him to the media to antagonise Moscow, once the British authorities had returned the suspected hitman to Moscow. The timing of the story has also been seen as suspicious, coming in the middle of a row over Britain's attempts to charge a Russian businessman and former security agent, [[Andrei Lugovoi]], with Litvinenko's murder.<ref name=g/>
According to the interview given by a high-ranking British security official to the [[BBC2]] in July 2008, the alleged Russian agent, known as "A" , was of a Chechen nationality.<ref>{{pl icon}} [http://www.tvn24.pl/12691,1556489,0,1,rosjanie-to-nie-my-zabilismy-litwinienke,wiadomosc.html Rosjanie: To nie my zabiliśmy Litwinienkę], [[Polska Agencja Prasowa]], 08.07.2008</ref> He was indentified by ''[[Kommersant]]'' as the Chechen [[mobster]] [[Movladi Atlangeriyev]], [[forced disappearance|forcibly disappeared]] in January 2008 by the unknown armed men in Moscow.<ref>[http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/600/42/368821.htm Kremlin Fingered in Litvinenko's Murder], ''[[The Moscow Times]]'', July 09, 2008 </ref>
==Allegations of criminal activity==
===Litigation with ''Forbes''===
A 1996 ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine article titled ''[[crime boss|Godfather]] of [[the Kremlin]]?'', by the Russian-American journalist [[Paul Klebnikov]], portrayed Berezovsky as a [[mafiya]] boss who had his rivals murdered. Berezovsky sued the magazine for [[libel]], and the dispute was ultimately settled with the magazine retracting both claims. Klebnikov expanded the article into a book, ''Godfather of the Kremlin'', that Berezovsky did not contest in court. Klebnikov was eventually murdered in 2004.
===Arrest warrants in Russia and Brazil===
After his self-exile, prosecutors in Russia had accused Berezovsky of a host of crimes, including [[fraud]] and preparing a violent overthrow of Putin's government. Berezovsky denies all the allegations.<ref name=finn/> On [[September 5]], [[2007]], a trial ''[[in absentia]]'' began in Moscow. Berezovsky is accused of [[embezzling]] money from the Russian airline carrier [[Aeroflot]] in the 1990s.<ref name=r>[http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/09/05/afx4084239.html "Berezovsky embezzlement trial starts in Moscow"], ''[[Forbes]]'', [[September 5]], [[2007]].</ref>
On [[July 12]], [[2007]], a [[Brazil]]ian judge issued an arrest warrant for Berezovsky and a number of other British and Brazilian suspects in connection with an investigation against the Media Sports Investments group, which is suspected of money laundering.<ref>[http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2125480,00.html "Arrest order issued for Tevez's agent accused of money laundering"], ''The Guardian'', [[July 13]], [[2007]].</ref> Berezovsky is accused of being the main financial backer of MSI. Since Berezovsky, Iranian-born [[Kia Joorabchian]] and [[Noyan Bedru]] were not in Brazil at the time, warrants for their arrest were forwarded to [[Interpol]]. Berezovsky dismissed the Brazilian investigation as a part of the Kremlin's "politicized campaign" against him.<ref name=b>[http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1377014120070713 "Berezovsky links Brazilian arrest order to Kremlin'"], [[Reuters]], [[July 13]], [[2007]].</ref>
===Allegations of handling and money laundering===
Boris Berezovsky has been investigated by the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] financial authorities since 1999 for [[money laundering]] and membership of a criminal organization. In 2003, the Swiss Bundesanwaltschaft started a criminal case against Berezovsky and, amongst others, [[Nikolai Glushkov]], for money laundering through the Swiss firms Ovaco AG, situated at the Monbijoustrasse in [[Bern]], and Anros SA in the [[Lausanne]] World Trade Center.<ref>[http://www.weltwoche.ch/artikel/print.asp?AssetID=4742&CategoryID=66 "King of Intrigue"], article by Daniel Ammann in the ''Weltwoche'', Switzerland, 2003. </ref> Berezovsky claimed the proceedings were motivated by [[antisemitism]]. <ref name=s>[http://www.20min.ch/news/ausland/story/29599113 "Bundesanwaltschaft has been proceeding against Berezovsky for three years"], ''20 Minuten'', Switzerland, 2006. </ref> In December 2006, as news broke of the death of Alexander Litvinenko, the Bundesanwaltschaft announced that its investigations against Boris Berezovsky were still continuing.
In August 2007, the Russian Deputy Prosecutor General announced that the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] tax police had visited Moscow in connection with a [[handling]] and money laudering case involving Berezovsky. As Russian media were claiming<ref>[http://www.kommersant.com/p799478/Boris_Berezovsky "Berezovsky prosecuted in Holland"], ''Kommersant'', [[August 29]], [[2007]].</ref> that a criminal case had been initiated against Berezovsky in the Netherlands on a charge of money laundering, the Dutch prosecuting office or Openbaar Ministerie hastened to announce that he was not the object of any criminal investigation in the Netherlands, while Berezovsky himself responded by saying that he had no business in the Netherlands. Several Dutch newspapers counterclaimed that the name Boris Berezovsky was in fact mentioned in the handling and money laundering dossier,<ref>[http://www.haarlemsdagblad.nl/nieuws/binnenland/article2361880.ece? "Name of Berezovsky is indeed mentioned in the dossier"], ''Haarlems dagblad'', [[August 30]], [[2007]]. </ref> to which the Dutch prosecution officers in function refused to comment.
== Alleged links to assassinations of Alexander Litvinenko and Anna Politkovskaya ==
===Anna Politkovskaya===
{{main|Anna Politkovskaya assassination}}
On [[October 7]] [[2006]], prominent Russian journalist and an outspoken Kremlin critic [[Anna Politkovskaya]] was assassinated at her Moscow apartment in what was a suspected [[contract killing]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5416218.stm Chechen war reporter found dead] [[BBC News]] Retrieved on April 6, 2008</ref>
On [[August 28]], [[2007]], Russia's Prosecutor-General [[Yury Chaika]]<ref> Chaika was appointed to his current position by Putin on [[June 23]], [[2006]] </ref> had a meeting with President Putin and the FSB director [[Nikolai Patrushev]], during which he made an official announcement that "our investigation has led us to conclude that only people living abroad could be interested in killing Politkovskaya," and that "forces interested in de-stabilising the country, in stoking crisis...in discrediting the national leadership, provoking external pressure on the country, could be interested in this crime. Anna Politkovskaya knew who ordered her killing. She met him more than once."<ref name="statement"> [http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/russia-hints-exile-linked-to-murder/2007/08/28/1188067111580.html SMH.com, Russia hints exile linked to murder]</ref> Chaika also said that Politkovskaya's killers are probably connected with the murders of deputy Central Bank head [[Andrei Kozlov]] and U.S. journalist Paul Khlebnikov.<ref name="dispute"/> The person noted by Chaika as the organizer of the murder was unequivocally identified in the media as Boris Berezovsky.<ref name="dispute">[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/08/624213BB-BE6C-4498-B70E-BB365A277C59.html Russia: Politkovskaya's Colleagues Dispute Official Investigation], By Brian Whitmore, [[RFE/RL]], [[August 28]], [[2007]]</ref>
The statement by Chaika was supported by the Russian businessman, politician and former [[KGB]] officer Andrei Lugovoi, who had been indicted by British court with regard to the Alexander Litvinenko's murder. Lugovoy said that Berezovsky had organized the murders of Politkovskaya, Litvinenko, and the attempted murder of [[Yelena Tregubova]].<ref>[http://www.kommersant.com/p-11293/r_531/Berezovsky_murder/ Berezovsky Masterminded Murders of Politkovskaya, Litvinenko, Tregubova, Lugovoy Said] Aug. 29, 2007</ref> Press freedom advocates have called the timing of the announcement, just three days before Politkovskaya's birthday on [[August 30]], suspicious. [[Oleg Panfilov]] of the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations said that the kremlin is trying to preempt the inevitable criticism that would have come if the investigation lasted a whole year without yielding results: "I think that Chaika is trying to preserve Putin's image."
On [[April 3]] [[2008]], the suspended head of Russia’s Investigation Committee, [[Dmitry Dovgy]], told the press that Berezovsky was behind the murder. He said he was convinced that the murder had been carried out by "Boris Berezovsky, through [[Khozh-Ahmed Noukhayev]]," and that her death had been "advantageous" for the former Kremlin insider at that particular moment in time.<ref>[http://russiatoday.ru/news/news/22994 Exiled tycoon linked to Politkovskaya murder: investigator] [[Russia Today]] Retrieved on April 5, 2008</ref><ref>[http://old.lenta.ru/news/2008/04/03/claim/ Главный следователь СКП назвал Березовского заказчиком убийства Политковской] Retrieved on April 5, 2008</ref> Dovgy said that the murder was also aimed at undermining confidence in law and order in Russia.<ref>[http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080403/102883594.html Top investigator says Berezovsky ordered Politkovskaya's murder] [[RIA Novosti]] Retrieved on April 6, 2008</ref> "She was such a strong character, in opposition to the authorities. She met with Berezovsky, and, well, they killed her. They didn't believe that we would solve the case so quickly. The organizers [of Politkovskaya's murder] wanted to show that well-known people can be killed here in broad daylight, with the law enforcement agencies seemingly unable to solve such crimes," he said.
Berezovsky dismissed the accusations in an interview with [[Ekho Moskvy]] radio as an "another attempt to distract the investigation from searching for the real person behind the murder."
===Alexander Litvinenko===
<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:AlexanderLitvinenkoHospital.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Alexander Litvinenko at [[University College Hospital]]]] -->
{{Main|Alexander Litvinenko poisoning}}
On [[November 1]] [[2006]], Alexander Litvinenko, a former FSB agent-turned-[[defector]] and a close associate of Berezovsky, suddenly fell ill while investigating the death of Politkovskaya and was hospitalised in London. He died three weeks later, becoming the first known victim of lethal [[polonium-210]]-induced [[acute radiation syndrome]].<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/nov/24/russia.world Poisoned former KGB man dies in hospital] [[The Guardian]] Retrieved on April 6 2008</ref> On his deathbed, Litvinenko accused the Russian government of the poisoning.<ref name="litvinenkoarticle">{{cite web
| title = Why I believe Putin wanted me dead
| url = http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=418652&in_page_id=1770
| publisher = ''[[Daily Mail]]''
| accessdate = 2007-03-10 }}</ref> Berezovsky himself said that he had "no doubt" that his friend had been poisoned on the "order from President Putin."<ref name=wash>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/08/AR2006120800446_2.html Russian Billionaire's Bitter Feud With Putin A Plot Line in Poisoning] [[The Washington Post]] Retrieved on April 6, 2008</ref>
Many publications in Russian media suggested that his death was connected to Berezovsky.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Weaver
| first = John
| title = Mafia Hit On The Media
| work =
| publisher = Atlantic Free Press
| date = [[24 November]] [[2006]]
| url = http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/262/
| accessdate = 2006-11-26 }}</ref><ref>{{ru icon}}{{cite web
| last = Alexeev
| first = Petr
| title = Politkovskaya, Litvinenko, who is next?
| work =
| publisher = Electorat. Info
| date = [[24 November]] [[2006]]
| url = http://www.electorat.info/oligarx/22196-1/
| accessdate = 2006-11-26 }}</ref> Former FSB chief [[Nikolay Kovalev (FSB)|Nikolay Kovalev]], for whom Litvinenko worked, said that the incident "looks like the hand of Berezovsky. I am sure that no kind of [[Intelligence agency|intelligence services]] participated."<ref>{{ru icon}}{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Who orchestrated plan to discredit Russia?
| work =
| publisher = ''[[Kommersant]]''
| date = [[25 November]] [[2006]]
| url = http://www.kommersant.ru/doc-y.html?docId=724957&issueId=30261
| accessdate = 2006-11-26 }}</ref> This involvement of Berezovsky was alleged by numerous Russian television shows. Kremlin supporters saw it as a conspiracy to smear Russian government's reputation by engineering a spectacular murder of a Russian dissident abroad.<ref name=wash/>
==See also==
* [[International Foundation for Civil Liberties]]
* [[List of Russian billionaires]]
* [[Business oligarch#Russia|Russian oligarchs]]
* [[Vladislav Listyev]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thy3C_rlUGc The Russian Godfathers (BBC documentary)]
* [http://www.voltairenet.org/article30030.html Boris Berezovski, the smuggler], [[Voltaire Network]], [[April 26]] [[2004]].
* [http://www.forbes.com/forbes/1996/1230/5815090a.html Godfather of the Kremlin? Power. Politics. Murder. Boris Berezovsky could teach the guys in Sicily a thing or two.] [[Forbes]], [[December 30]], [[1996]].
* [http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_30/b3691184.htm Boris Berezovsky: Tycoon under Siege], [[BusinessWeek]], [[July 24]] [[2000]].
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2056321,00.html London exile Berezovsky says force necessary to bring down President Putin]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2057106,00.html Police probe exile's claims about Russian 'revolution']
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2057099,00.html Britain counts cost of diplomatic furore over Berezovsky]
* Berezovsky, Boris (2005). [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1540-5842.2005.00730.x Putin Is Terrorist Number One]
* Berezovsky, Boris (2004). [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j..2004.00643.x Putin Restores Soviet-Style Power]
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{{succession box|before=[[Ivan Korotchenya]]|after=[[Ivan Korotchenya]] (acting) |years= [[April 29]], [[1998]] – [[March 4]], [[1999]]|title=Executive Secretary of [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]]}}
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[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:20th century mathematicians]]
[[Category:Aeroflot]]
[[Category:British Jews]]
[[Category:Converts to Eastern Orthodox Christianity]]
[[Category:Fugitive financiers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:People from Moscow]]
[[Category:Russian billionaires]]
[[Category:Russian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Russian dissidents]]
[[Category:Russian Eastern Orthodox Christians]]
[[Category:Russian Jews]]
[[Category:Russian mathematicians]]
[[Category:Russian politicians]]
[[ar:بوريس بيريزوفسكي]]
[[bg:Борис Березовски]]
[[de:Boris Abramowitsch Beresowski]]
[[et:Boriss Berezovski]]
[[fr:Boris Berezovsky (homme d'affaires)]]
[[it:Boris Abramovič Berezovskij]]
[[he:בוריס ברזובסקי]]
[[lt:Borisas Berezovskis]]
[[nl:Boris Berezovski (zakenman)]]
[[ja:ボリス・ベレゾフスキー]]
[[no:Boris Berezovskij]]
[[pl:Borys Bieriezowski]]
[[pt:Boris Berezovsky]]
[[ru:Березовский, Борис Абрамович]]
[[simple:Boris Berezovsky]]
[[fi:Boris Berezovski]]
[[uk:Березовський Борис Абрамович]]
[[zh:鲍里斯·阿布拉莫维奇·别列佐夫斯基]]