The Russian side has sent a new package of documents to Interpol, seeking an order to place former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is accused of involvement in the murder of Nefteyugansk Mayor Vladimir Petukhov, on the international wanted list. "By agreement with the Interpol General Secretariat, the investigation materials on this high-profile case have been sent to Lyon," an informed source told Interfax. He knows nothing yet about Interpol's response.

"Most likely, the documents received will be sufficient for a new consideration of the issue of an international search warrant for the former head of Yukos," the agency's source emphasized.

Russia sent a request to Interpol to place Khodorkovsky on the international wanted list in connection with the Petukhov murder case on February 3, 2016, and was refused. The Interpol General Secretariat recommended not to include Khodorkovsky's profile in national databases, citing a provision of the charter that prohibits any actions of a political, military, religious or racial nature, Interfax recalls.

On April 25, an informed source told Interfax that Interpol's decision could be revised. According to him, after negotiations, representatives of the international police organization said that they were ready to "reconsider their position on the issue of putting Khodorkovsky, who is accused of involvement in the murder of the mayor of Nefteyugansk, on the international wanted list" and asked the Russian side for additional materials on the case. "The Russian side assured that it would send the requested documents to France in the near future," he added. Information about such negotiations was confirmed to TASS by the official representative of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, Alexander Kurennoy. According to him, Interpol representatives met with representatives of the Russian side in mid-April. "Among the topics raised was the question of the grounds for the refusal by the Interpol central office to place Khodorkovsky, who is suspected of organizing the murder of the mayor of Nefteyugansk, committed in June 1998, on the international wanted list. Representatives of Interpol headquarters expressed their readiness to return to considering this request if Moscow prepares a package of additional materials on the case," the representative of the Prosecutor General's Office reported.

The press secretary of the former head of Yukos, Külle Pispanen, expressed doubts about the reliability of the sources’ information and noted that she had not received such messages from Interpol.

On May 16, it became known that Khodorkovsky's Open Elections project had completed the selection of opposition candidates for the State Duma, to whom it would provide legal and financial assistance. The project's jury selected the final five candidates after studying their video presentations and holding a secret ballot. As the project's press secretary, Maria Galitskaya, told RBK , they are 31-year-old IT specialist from Voronezh Vladislav Khodakovsky; the chairman of the Irkutsk branch of the Parnas party, teacher Mikhail Vasiliev; 26-year-old Parnas member from Chuvashia Dmitry Semenov; 27-year-old activist Kirill Nikolenko from Vladimir, supported by the unregistered Progress Party, and 41-year-old Vladimir Lukin from Tatarstan, who actively supported the truckers' protest. All of them will run for Parnas and participate in the primaries of the Democratic Coalition. Before this, Open Elections selected another 20 candidates, 15 of whom are going to run for the State Duma, and another five for the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg.

Moscow has sent new documents on Khodorkovsky to Interpol – Interfax