SPAIN: RUSSIAN MEDIA MAGNATE VLADIMIR GUSINSKY TELLS COURT THAT HE WILL FIGHT EXTRADITION TO RUSSIA ON FRAUD CHARGES

Record ID: 647626

  • Title: SPAIN: RUSSIAN MEDIA MAGNATE VLADIMIR GUSINSKY TELLS COURT THAT HE WILL FIGHT EXTRADITION TO RUSSIA ON FRAUD CHARGES
  • Date: 1st February 2001
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (JANUARY 31, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF SPANISH HIGH COURT; SCU COURT SIGN (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. MV JOURNALISTS 0.12 3. MV SPANISH JUDGE BALTASAR GARZON ARRIVING 0.23 4. MV POLICE; SLV HIGH COURT EXTERIORS, JUDGE GARZON'S' OFFICE WINDOW; SCU PHOTOGRAPHERS (5 SHOTS) 0.48 5. MV RUSSIAN MEDIA MAGNATE VLADIMIR
  • Embargoed: 16th February 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Reuters ID: LVA97Q4TAYB4CB390OX06CSQEZ4O
  • Story Text: Media magnate Vladimir Gusinsky has told a Spanish
    court that he would fight extradition to Russia to face fraud
    charges, reiterating that he was a victim of a political
    campaign.

    Speaking to reporters outside the High Court after
    appearing before Judge Baltasar Garzon on Wednesday (January 31)
    Gusinsky said he would fight extradition because does not
    believe Russian justice is independent.

    "It is obvious to everyone in Spain and elsewhere that these
    proceedings are of political nature. What's more the whole
    trial is unreasonable, it is falsified . The proceedings aim
    at presenting regular economic activities, sometimes
    complicated ones, as criminal activities," Gusinsky told
    reporters.

    The head of Russia's leading independent media group,
    Media-Most, has been under effective house arrest in his
    luxury villa in Spain since December, awaiting hearings which
    might force him to return to Russia.

    The case now goes before a panel of judges at the High
    Court in Madrid.

    The Kremlin says Gusinsky is guilty of fraud, but his
    supporters say the case is part of the Russian government's
    campaign to stop Media-Most's open criticism of the Kremlin.

    Back in Russia, Gusinsky's group is also defending itself
    against a takeover bid by state-controlled gas group Gazprom
    by trying to sell CNN founder Ted Turner a 25 percent blocking
    stake in Media Most's leading television station NTV.

    Refuting criticism that it wants to gag Media-Most's
    independent voice, Russian President Vladimir Putin told
    Turner in a recent letter that he shared his convictions that
    the media "must be honest and balanced."
    However Putin did not provide a requested guarantee that
    the Kremlin would not interfere in editorial matters.




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