Russia’s Federal Security Service announced on Tuesday the initiation of a criminal case against Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a prominent critic of the Kremlin living in exile. The charges include allegations of forming a “terrorist organization” and orchestrating a violent overthrow of power. Khodorkovsky, a former oil magnate who was once the wealthiest individual in Russia, previously served a decade in a Siberian prison on charges of fraud that were widely believed to be politically motivated by Western nations.
The Federal Security Service specified that the accusations stem from the activities of a group supported by Khodorkovsky, known as the Anti-War Committee, which actively opposes Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. This group has been outlawed in Russia. As of now, there has been no response from Khodorkovsky or his representatives.
Khodorkovsky rose to prominence in the 1990s as one of the few affluent businessmen who supported Boris Yeltsin, the former Russian president, amassing significant influence over the country’s economy as a consequence. However, his fortunes changed when Vladimir Putin succeeded Yeltsin and began exerting tighter control over once-independent business figures in Russia.
Following his pardon in 2013, Khodorkovsky departed Russia and has since aligned himself with various groups opposed to Putin’s leadership. In recent years, particularly from 2022 onwards, he has emerged as a key figure among Russian expatriates who endorse Kyiv over Moscow in the Ukrainian conflict. Shortly after the commencement of the war, Khodorkovsky was labeled a “foreign agent” by the Russian government.
