Athens
Greek police arrested the Russian tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky as he stepped off a plane in Athens this week, holding him at Russia’s request. The Russian government accused Gusinsky, a media mogul who launched post-communist Russia’s first and most-respected private newspapers and TV stations, of illegally transferring more than $250 million dollars outside the country. Gusinsky says—and most Western analysts agree—that the Kremlin targeted him because his media outlets sharply criticized government policies, particularly regarding the war in Chechnya. The billionaire has been living in self-imposed exile in Israel since the charges were filed in 2000. His lawyers say the charges are baseless and that he will fight extradition. In 2000, Gusinsky was arrested in Spain, but a Spanish court ruled that Russia did not have enough evidence to back extradition and the charges were dismissed.
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