In Kremlin's crosshairs? Russian tycoon Lebedev charged with hooliganism

"We cannot accept the charge of 'political hatred.' Lebedev was meeting Polonsky for the first time in his life," and neither man is a politician, says Artyom Artyamov, a close Lebedev adviser. 

"It's just ridiculous. It leaves us totally perplexed ... but Lebedev intends to face the charges. He refused to sign an undertaking not to leave the country, but he is in Russia. He considers this a completely illegal operation, but he will appear in court, or show up for interrogation, or whatever they demand," Mr. Artyamov says.

Lebedev's son, Yevgeny, who runs the family's British holdings – which include the London Evening Standard and the Independent – issued a statement Wednesday that said "my father has been targeted because of his determination to fight against corruption and to be a crusader for democracy in a country where this has not always been welcome.... I don't condone violence, but the punishment does not fit the crime here. We need more Russians to speak out against injustice, not fewer. I hope this isn't the start of a new crackdown."

The charges against Lebedev come amid a wave of other state actions that appear aimed at intimidating or silencing critics, including the expulsion of a leading opposition deputy from the Duma earlier this month, and a raft of new legislation that has the overall effect of sharply raising the penalties for dissent.

After the televised fist fight between the two tycoons briefly scandalized Moscow last year, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly commented, appearing to put the whole episode down to the ill manners of Russia's new rich. "They hit each other in the ear. That is hooliganism," Mr. Putin said at the time. "Imagine how they would fight over money.... They would tear each other's throats out."

Violence among participants of Russia's often raucous and confrontational TV talk shows is hardly unheard of. One of the worst offenders is Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the ultra-nationalist, misnamed Liberal Democratic Party, who frequently punctuates his opinions with physical hostility, but has always seemed to get away with it.

"We believe these accusations against Lebedev are all invented, and ordered from the top," says Genry Reznik, Lebedev's defense attorney.

"The best explanation for this is that they want to scare Lebedev and force him to leave the country. It's a political reprisal against him, pure and simple," he adds.

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