Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Tuesday it had opened a criminal case against exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, accusing him of creating a "terrorist organisation" and of plotting to violently seize power.
Khodorkovsky, an oil tycoon who was once Russia's richest man, served 10 years in a Siberian prison on fraud charges that he and many Western countries said were politically motivated.
The FSB said the charges relate to the activities of a Khodorkovsky-backed group that opposes the war in Ukraine. The group, called the Anti-War Committee, has been banned in Russia.
There was no immediate comment from Khodorkovsky or his representatives.
Khodorkovsky rose to prominence as one of a handful of wealthy businessmen who backed Russia's former president Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, gaining huge power over the Russian economy as a result.
He fell from grace as Yeltsin's successor Vladimir Putin tightened the Kremlin's grip on previously independent-minded business figures.
He was pardoned in 2013 and left Russia. He has since backed a series of groups opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Khodorkovsky has since 2022 positioned himself as a leading figure among Russian exiles who back Kyiv against Moscow in the Ukraine war. Shortly after the war's outbreak, he was designated a "foreign agent" by Russia.
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance has arrived in Armenia, marking the first time a sitting U.S. vice president or president has visited the country, as Washington seeks to deepen engagement in the South Caucasus and advance a U.S.-brokered peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, saying that “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.”
Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
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Pressure is mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid resignations and a row over Peter Mandelson, a powerful figure in the ruling Labour Party. The episode has raised doubts about Starmer’s authority and how firmly his own party continues to back him.
Chinese authorities have quietly signalled a shift in strategy, instructing some state-owned banks to rein in their purchases of U.S. government bonds.
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Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has accused Afghanistan’s authorities of fostering conditions “similar to or worse than pre-9/11”, as tensions between the two neighbours intensify amid a surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, saying that “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.”
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