Russia asks UK to remove asylum status for billionaire accused of coup plot News
Russia asks UK to remove asylum status for billionaire accused of coup plot

[JURIST] Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika [official website, in Russian] submitted a request to the UK Home Office [official website] on Monday to revoke the asylum status of Russian business billionaire Boris Berezovsky [MosNews profile]. Chaika also repeated previous requests for the UK to extradite Berezovsky, who has been charged with plotting a coup against Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website] based on Berezovsky's comments that the current Russian government can only be changed by force.

British police began an investigation Friday into whether the comments violate UK law after the Russian government renewed its call for Berezovsky's extradition [JURIST report]. The Russian prosecutor general suspended [JURIST report] its investigation of Berezovsky on charges of plotting a coup against Putin in January. Berezovsky, who fled to the UK in 2000, obtained political asylum in 2003 and is currently living in London. AP has more.

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