On Tuesday, October 14th, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation accused exiled oil tycoon and former Russian richest man Mikhail Khodorkovsky of plotting to overthrow Putin’s regime.
FSB is investigating the Russian Antiwar Committee, an overseas organization in which Khodorkovsky is alleged to be involved. The committee consists of 23 political figures, businessmen, journalists, lawyers, artists, and scholars who have long criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and planned to engage in dialogue in the European Parliament.
In addition to Khodorkovsky, other members of the organization include prominent Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, and former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.
In its statement, FSB referred to the Russian Antiwar Committee as “Khodorkovsky and his associates,” considering Khodorkovsky as the key figure. All members of the organization are in exile outside of Russia.
This comes less than two weeks after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) announced the establishment of a new dialogue platform with Russian exiled democratic forces. Khodorkovsky has expressed his intention to participate in this initiative.
In 2022, the Russian government withdrew from the Council of Europe due to the risks of being expelled, following its invasion of Ukraine.
Currently residing in London, Khodorkovsky rejected Russia’s accusations as “completely baseless” during a media interview on Tuesday. He denied claims by the Russian side that the Antiwar Committee funded and recruited Ukrainian paramilitary forces, explaining that the committee’s activities are limited to open, peaceful, and humanitarian actions.
Khodorkovsky stated that the dialogue platform being prepared by the Council of Europe has triggered sensitivity within President Putin’s regime. These accusations precisely reflect the Kremlin’s fear of European initiatives because once Putin is ousted, these individuals have the opportunity to assume state power.
He pointed out that the practice of building connections between international organizations and Russian exiled opposition is very correct and is the right way to promote change and strengthen the opposition’s influence. Furthermore, this platform composed of exiled opposition figures could potentially serve as a “legitimate political alternative, posing the greatest threat to Putin and his regime.”
Khodorkovsky views FSB’s latest accusations against him as labeling him a “dangerous individual,” putting those aspiring to be an alternative force to Putin’s regime at higher risk.
Both Khodorkovsky and several Western countries believe that this case involves political motives.
Once one of Russia’s wealthiest individuals, Khodorkovsky served as the CEO of the Yukos oil company and was later convicted of tax evasion, fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering in Siberia, serving a 10-year sentence before being pardoned by Putin in 2013 and going into exile.
Since 2022, Khodorkovsky has actively opposed Putin’s regime as a leader in the Russian exiled opposition. The Kremlin even labeled him as a “foreign agent” shortly after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out.
Reuters analysis points out that this case highlights the ongoing pressure by Russian authorities on exiled opposition figures, portraying them as forces threatening national security and attempting to weaken Western support for them and actions that give them political legitimacy.