Russia’s Federal Security Service announced on Tuesday that they have initiated a criminal case against Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former Kremlin critic living in exile. The charges include allegations of forming a “terrorist organization” and planning a violent takeover of power. Khodorkovsky, a former oil magnate who was once the wealthiest individual in Russia, spent a decade in a Siberian prison on fraud charges that were widely criticized by Western nations as politically motivated.
The Federal Security Service stated that the accusations are linked to the actions of a group supported by Khodorkovsky, known as the Anti-War Committee, which opposes the conflict in Ukraine and has been prohibited in Russia. There has been no immediate response from Khodorkovsky or his representatives.
Khodorkovsky gained prominence as one of the affluent businessmen who supported Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s former president, during the 1990s, which granted him significant influence over the Russian economy. However, his fortunes changed when Vladimir Putin, Yeltsin’s successor, consolidated control over business figures who had previously operated independently.
After being granted clemency in 2013, Khodorkovsky left Russia and has since aligned himself with various groups that are critical of Putin’s leadership. Since 2022, he has emerged as a prominent figure among Russian exiles who support Kyiv against Moscow in the Ukraine conflict. Following the outbreak of the war, he was labeled a “foreign agent” by the Russian government.