Russia’s Federal Security Service announced on Tuesday that they have initiated a criminal case against Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a prominent Kremlin critic living in exile. The charges include allegations of establishing a “terrorist organization” and orchestrating a violent coup. 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 pertain to the activities of an Anti-War Committee supported by Khodorkovsky, which opposes the conflict in Ukraine and has been prohibited in Russia. As of now, there has been no response from Khodorkovsky or his associates.
Khodorkovsky rose to fame as one of the few affluent businessmen who supported Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s former president, during the 1990s, amassing considerable influence over the country’s economy. However, his fortunes dwindled when Vladimir Putin, Yeltsin’s successor, tightened control over business figures who were previously independent-minded.
Following his pardon in 2013, Khodorkovsky departed Russia and has since lent support to various groups critical of Putin. Since 2022, he has emerged as a key figure among Russian expatriates endorsing Kyiv over Moscow in the Ukraine conflict. Shortly after the commencement of the war, Khodorkovsky was labeled a “foreign agent” by the Russian government.