Legal Opinion In Political Persecution

Political prosecution can often be something that at first glance looks like an ordinary economic crime.

For many years, the experts of the Collegiumhave been analyzing the changes that take place in the federal and regional elites of the Russian Federation. The analysis shows that in most cases the prosecution of business representatives and regional leaders is politically motivated.

In some cases the initiation of criminal cases against business owners after the appointment of a new governor of the region, the mass arrests of officials loyal to the former administration, under a far-fetched pretext (for example, Art. 159 Swindling, Art. 285 Abuse of Official Powers, Art. 160 Misappropriation and Embezzlement) are, in fact, political prosecution.

To prove this, it is necessary to show that specific situations occurring in certain regions are part of a common strategy aimed at establishing the power of a particular ruling group or clan.