You're reading: Billionaire Kremlin critic charged over TV talk show punch

MOSCOW - Billionaire Kremlin critic Alexander Lebedev was charged on Wednesday with "hooliganism" over an incident in which he threw a punch at another Russian businessmen on a televised talk show, and could face up to five years in jail. 

Lebedev, a media magnate and banker, has said he believes he is being targeted by President Vladimir Putin for political reasons. Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement he had been presented with the charges of hooliganism and battery.