INTERPOL has agreed with Peters & Peters that the diffusions for the purpose of arresting our clients, two high-profile Russian businessmen, should be deleted because the criminal case against them is politically motivated. Our clients were the owners of one of Russia’s most successful private banks before it was unlawfully taken over by the Russian Central Bank on a pretext. Criminal charges followed against both clients, based on flimsy and contradictory evidence, for the purpose of retrospectively justifying the State takeover.

Peters & Peters made detailed and lengthy submissions to the Commission for Control of INTERPOL’s Files setting out the factual and procedural history of the takeover and the criminal charges. These were considered at the Commission’s 114th Session which concluded that the underlying criminal charges were so vague that it was not possible to understand what our clients were said to have done.  Furthermore, the Commission was satisfied that the takeover of the bank appeared to have been engineered by the Russian authorities and that there were clear political elements to the prosecution. Accordingly, the diffusions were contrary to Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution and would be deleted.

Peters & Peters is pleased that INTERPOL’s decision in this matter has upheld our client’s contentions that they are subject to politically motivated attack by the Russian authorities.