MOSCOW - Russian banker and media magnate Alexander Lebedev, who says his trial for throwing punches during a television chat show is a political witch-hunt, said on Thursday his case had been postponed as one of his lawyers was out of the country.
The backer of Britain’s Independent and London Evening
Standard newspapers was seen lunging at property developer
Sergei Polonsky during a broadcast in 2011.
Lebedev was charged in September with hooliganism motivated
by religious, political, racial, ethnic or ideological hatred
and could be jailed for up to five years if convicted.
He told reporters outside Moscow’s Ostankino district court
Thursday’s pre-trial hearing was moved to Feb. 7 because one of
his lawyers was abroad and another was taking part in a separate
case.
“So there was nothing heard … The only question raised by
the judge was whether Polonsky will be participating,” Lebedev
said.
Polonsky was detained in Cambodia this month, accused of
assault and illegal detention after a separate incident on a
boat. He could face up to three years in prison if convicted.
Lebedev said he had offered to cover Polonsky’s bail in
Cambodia, but had been refused.
In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Lebedev likened
his trial to a witch-hunt and said the charge of hooliganism
leveled against him was baseless as the incident did not amount
to a pre-meditated gross violation of public order.
Lebedev, whose fortune was put at $1.1 billion by Forbes
magazine last year, has said he is being made a scapegoat for
criticising President Vladimir Putin.
