Subject
Berezovsky prefers Nabokov
From
Date
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---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Friday, July 16, 2004 3:24 PM +0100
From: Nicholas Richards <elston_njr@yahoo.co.uk>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Dear List,
Thought this might be of interest...
Regards
Nicholas Richards
MosNews.com
July 16, 2004
Boris Berezovsky: I Prefer Nabokov to Klebnikov
Yefim Barban, MN staff writer
In his last interview, granted to the Mir Novostei weekly newspaper, Forbes
Russia editor []Paul Klebnikov admitted that when he was working on his
book about Boris Berezovsky "Godfather of the Kremlin: Boris Berezovsky and
the Looting of Russia", he seriously feared for his life. "At first, the
editorial office wanted me and my family to go into hiding," Paul recalled.
"But it became clear that Berezovsky opted for another method of settling
scores with the author of the book he took us to a London court."
Today the hero of Klebnikovs book, Boris Berezovsky, comments on the
murder of his opponent.
The police are investigating several leads behind Klebnikovs murder. Among
them is the Chechen trail, and the involvement of the special services.
Your name is mentioned as well. Which of those leads do you deem most
credible?
I can say for sure not only which of those is the most credible but also
who committed the crime.
So who is it?
The present-day Russian regime is behind that murder. Undoubtedly,
Klebnikov fell victim to the redistribution of property in Russia initiated
by President Putin. And, to be perfectly serious, Klebnikov became a victim
of Putins policy. The president of Russia is at the top of the vertical of
authoritarian power that he built and therefore he must be held fully
accountable for what has happened. This is, so to speak, the general
outline.
To be more specific, the murder was the result of a redistribution of
property which is always fraught with a growing crime rate. Klebnikov
wanted, in his own manner and quite professionally, I believe, to look into
the developments going on in Russia. Of course, those who initiated the
redistribution of property were not happy about it.
So, yet again you are implying that Russian special services are involved
in this case?
I would not dare to assert that with full confidence. I am not sure that
Russias special services are behind it, although I do not rule it out. I
am talking of the policy to which Klebnikov fell victim. And as to what
that policy resulted in, whether in the actions of the special services, or
a group of angry businessmen, whose wealth Klebnikov had sought to make
public, or of some other people involved in the case, this is just the
consequence of the political climate forming in Russia.
In his list of Russias 100 richest people published in the Forbes Russia
edition Paul Klebnikov included, among many others, Yelena Baturina, the
Moscow mayors wife, who, according to his information, is worth $1
billion. Could the threat emanate from people who were unhappy about the
publicity?
I have no grounds to finger Yelena Baturina or any other specific person.
However, in Russia such exposure could be perceived by many of those on the
list as a tip-off to the tax authorities or other political opponents. This
in turn is a threat to their businesses, wealth and career. The response to
such threats often evolves into a contract hit in Russia.
You said that Klebnikov handled information inaccurately. What did you mean
by that?
In his time Klebnikov published materials in the Forbes magazine about me.
The courts ruled the reports were false. This was what the joint statement
I issued together with Forbes read: "The facts, cited by Klebnikov, were
false." That carelessness with information could also be a reason for his
death.
How do you remember him?
I met him only once in my lifetime when he interviewed me in 1996. I was
meeting a great many journalists then and that is why I cannot remember him
at all. The article published afterwards in Forbes taught me a serious
lesson, whereupon I began paying more attention to whom and about what I
was talking.
That lesson was that even the Western media are capable of publishing false
reports and juggling the facts. And that is what I managed to prove in a
British court. Klebnikov had only proved that Western journalists, too,
lie. After I learned that Klebnikov was not a journalist but a writer I
stopped following his creative work. I prefer Nabokov, Bunin, Bulgakov.
Klebnikov was a US citizen. Will his murder tell on the relations between
the US and Russia?
This is a question for Putin and Bush.
__________________________________________________
ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - sooooo many all-new ways to express yourself
---------- End Forwarded Message ----------
D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L
Date: Friday, July 16, 2004 3:24 PM +0100
From: Nicholas Richards <elston_njr@yahoo.co.uk>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Dear List,
Thought this might be of interest...
Regards
Nicholas Richards
MosNews.com
July 16, 2004
Boris Berezovsky: I Prefer Nabokov to Klebnikov
Yefim Barban, MN staff writer
In his last interview, granted to the Mir Novostei weekly newspaper, Forbes
Russia editor []Paul Klebnikov admitted that when he was working on his
book about Boris Berezovsky "Godfather of the Kremlin: Boris Berezovsky and
the Looting of Russia", he seriously feared for his life. "At first, the
editorial office wanted me and my family to go into hiding," Paul recalled.
"But it became clear that Berezovsky opted for another method of settling
scores with the author of the book he took us to a London court."
Today the hero of Klebnikovs book, Boris Berezovsky, comments on the
murder of his opponent.
The police are investigating several leads behind Klebnikovs murder. Among
them is the Chechen trail, and the involvement of the special services.
Your name is mentioned as well. Which of those leads do you deem most
credible?
I can say for sure not only which of those is the most credible but also
who committed the crime.
So who is it?
The present-day Russian regime is behind that murder. Undoubtedly,
Klebnikov fell victim to the redistribution of property in Russia initiated
by President Putin. And, to be perfectly serious, Klebnikov became a victim
of Putins policy. The president of Russia is at the top of the vertical of
authoritarian power that he built and therefore he must be held fully
accountable for what has happened. This is, so to speak, the general
outline.
To be more specific, the murder was the result of a redistribution of
property which is always fraught with a growing crime rate. Klebnikov
wanted, in his own manner and quite professionally, I believe, to look into
the developments going on in Russia. Of course, those who initiated the
redistribution of property were not happy about it.
So, yet again you are implying that Russian special services are involved
in this case?
I would not dare to assert that with full confidence. I am not sure that
Russias special services are behind it, although I do not rule it out. I
am talking of the policy to which Klebnikov fell victim. And as to what
that policy resulted in, whether in the actions of the special services, or
a group of angry businessmen, whose wealth Klebnikov had sought to make
public, or of some other people involved in the case, this is just the
consequence of the political climate forming in Russia.
In his list of Russias 100 richest people published in the Forbes Russia
edition Paul Klebnikov included, among many others, Yelena Baturina, the
Moscow mayors wife, who, according to his information, is worth $1
billion. Could the threat emanate from people who were unhappy about the
publicity?
I have no grounds to finger Yelena Baturina or any other specific person.
However, in Russia such exposure could be perceived by many of those on the
list as a tip-off to the tax authorities or other political opponents. This
in turn is a threat to their businesses, wealth and career. The response to
such threats often evolves into a contract hit in Russia.
You said that Klebnikov handled information inaccurately. What did you mean
by that?
In his time Klebnikov published materials in the Forbes magazine about me.
The courts ruled the reports were false. This was what the joint statement
I issued together with Forbes read: "The facts, cited by Klebnikov, were
false." That carelessness with information could also be a reason for his
death.
How do you remember him?
I met him only once in my lifetime when he interviewed me in 1996. I was
meeting a great many journalists then and that is why I cannot remember him
at all. The article published afterwards in Forbes taught me a serious
lesson, whereupon I began paying more attention to whom and about what I
was talking.
That lesson was that even the Western media are capable of publishing false
reports and juggling the facts. And that is what I managed to prove in a
British court. Klebnikov had only proved that Western journalists, too,
lie. After I learned that Klebnikov was not a journalist but a writer I
stopped following his creative work. I prefer Nabokov, Bunin, Bulgakov.
Klebnikov was a US citizen. Will his murder tell on the relations between
the US and Russia?
This is a question for Putin and Bush.
__________________________________________________
ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - sooooo many all-new ways to express yourself
---------- End Forwarded Message ----------
D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L