Leonid Nevzlin, a Russian-Israeli businessman and critic of the Kremlin, has been accused by late opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s team of ordering attacks against Navalny allies. These assaults allegedly targeted individuals such as Leonid Volkov in Lithuania, Ivan Zhdanov in Switzerland, and Alexandra Petrachkova in Argentina. The information implicating Nevzlin’s involvement in these attacks came from a “fixer” named Andrei Matus, who then disappeared after sharing the information with the Kremlin-funded Russia Today network. Nevzlin has vehemently denied any involvement in the attacks, stating that justice will show the accusations against him to be baseless.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a fellow critic of the Kremlin and close associate of Nevzlin, expressed skepticism about the accusations against his colleague, suggesting that the information could be part of an FSB provocation. Nevzlin, born in Moscow in 1959, began his career as a computer engineer in the Soviet Union before transitioning to the business world. Alongside Khodorkovsky, he played a significant role in developing Yukos, a major Russian oil company. However, Yukos became embroiled in legal battles in the early 2000s, leading to accusations of tax evasion by the Russian government.
Facing persecution by the Russian authorities, Nevzlin fled to Israel in 2003 and has since been the subject of numerous international arrest warrants. In absentia, he was sentenced to life in prison in 2008 for allegedly ordering killings of business rivals and officials during his time at Yukos. He was also found guilty of tax evasion and embezzlement. Additionally, Russian prosecutors have accused Nevzlin of having ties to the killing of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, citing traces of mercury found in both Moscow and London as evidence of his involvement.
Despite his legal troubles, Nevzlin has dedicated himself to philanthropic endeavors in Israel, supporting education projects, local media, and initiatives that challenge the Kremlin’s policies in Russia. In light of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, he has been an outspoken opponent of the war. However, Nevzlin has also courted controversy with statements such as referring to the majority of Russia’s population as “slave cattle.” Despite these controversies, he remains an active voice in opposition to the policies of the Russian government.
In conclusion, Leonid Nevzlin, a Russian-Israeli businessman and critic of the Kremlin, has been accused of ordering attacks against allies of late opposition figure Alexei Navalny. Nevzlin denies any involvement in these assaults, attributing the accusations to baseless allegations. Despite facing legal challenges and accusations from the Russian government, Nevzlin has focused on philanthropic activities in Israel and supporting initiatives that challenge the Kremlin’s policies in Russia. His outspoken criticism of the war in Ukraine and controversial statements have kept him in the public eye, even as he remains a target of Kremlin scrutiny and international arrest warrants.
