Prosecutors impound Gusinsky's home

Vladimir Gusinsky: Under house arrest in Spain

By BBC Russian affairs analyst Stephen Dalziel

Russian prosecutors have seized the Moscow house of the head of the Media-Most group, Vladimir Gusinsky.

His lawyer, Pavel Astakhov, said security agents and prosecutors investigating Mr Gusinsky's business affairs were searching through his belongings at the house.

Mr Gusinsky, who is under house arrest in Spain, awaiting possible extradition back to Russia, is charged with fraud.

The Russian prosecutor-general said that the seizure of his house was to back creditor's claims if the fraud case succeeds.

This is the second time in six months that Mr Gusinsky's house in the Moscow suburb of Chegasovo has been impounded by the prosecutor's office.

Charges reinstated

The first time it happened, in July, was while the media baron was imprisoned for three days on fraud charges, which were later dropped.

But the prosecutor-general decided to revive the charges in November, after Mr Gusinsky failed to appear for questioning about alleged non-repayment of a loan to the state gas giant, Gazprom.

The prosecutor also ordered an international arrest warrant, and in December Spanish police took Mr Gusinsky into custody while he was at his home in the south of the country.

He is currently under house arrest, awaiting a decision on his extradition to Moscow.

The Russian prosecutor insists that this is entirely a legal case, based on Mr Gusinsky's business dealings.

Press freedom

But the head of the Media-Most group claims that it is an attack on freedom of the press.

His media outlets, such as the NTV television station, Ekho Moskvy radio and the Sevodnya newspaper have been the most critical of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Last weekend, Mr Putin told media editors that freedom of the media was alive and well in Russia.

But if Media-Most is brought under state control, which could be the outcome of the case against Mr Gusinsky, its editorial independence is bound to be affected.