The team of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has accused Russian-Israeli billionaire Leonid Nevzlin of ordering a violent attack on Navalny ally Leonid Volkov. The attack took place on March 12 when Volkov was assaulted with tear gas and a hammer outside his home in Lithuania. Poland arrested three suspects in connection with the assault, while Lithuania suspected Russian special services were involved. Navalny’s team claims that Nevzlin, a former co-owner of exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s oil company Yukos, ordered the attack but did not pay the promised $250,000 for it, leading to a dispute with the alleged organizer.
Navalny’s team claimed to have obtained audio and visual evidence of Nevzlin’s involvement in the attack from a “fixer” named Andrei Matus. Matus reportedly played a recording of a phone conversation with Nevzlin corroborating details of the attack on Volkov and two other attacks on exiled opposition members during a meeting in Montenegro. However, Matus disappeared after learning that Navalny’s team could not pay him for the information, and his materials later appeared on the Kremlin-funded Russia Today website. The Moscow Times was unable to independently verify any of the materials published on Navalny’s website.
Nevzlin denied any involvement in the attacks and dismissed the accusations as a “leak” fabricated in Moscow. He called for the materials to be assessed by an independent investigation and, if necessary, by a court in a democratic country. Navalny’s accusations against Nevzlin also drew a response from Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who suggested that the allegations could be an FSB provocation or a fake. Khodorkovsky called for the accusations to be investigated by law enforcement agencies to determine their validity.
Navalny’s team believes that the attack on Volkov may have been motivated by “stupid senseless hatred” and political competition. They notified law enforcement agencies in countries where Nevzlin is believed to reside and expressed their willingness to hand over their records. Economist and political commentator Konstantin Sonin praised Navalny’s team for their investigative journalism and noted their history of uncovering corruption within the Putin regime. He highlighted their impeccable reputation and their ability to expose critical episodes of corruption, influence networks, and military connections within the Russian government.
The allegations against Nevzlin have raised questions about the involvement of Russian oligarchs in attacks against opposition figures and the potential use of FSB provocations. The response from Nevzlin and Khodorkovsky reflects a broader skepticism surrounding the accusations and the need for a thorough investigation to determine the truth. Navalny’s team’s willingness to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and their commitment to transparency demonstrate their dedication to uncovering corruption and holding individuals accountable for their actions. The outcome of this situation remains uncertain, but the allegations have sparked a renewed conversation about the risks faced by opposition members in Russia and the potential motivations behind attacks on dissidents.
