Former head of the Russian Economic School (NES) Sergei Guriev in early November for the first time in 3.5 years, will visit Russia as chief economist of the EBRD, according to “RIA Novosti”.
According to Guriev, the main purpose of his visit to Moscow will be the participation in several events. “I will speak at the conference “Vedomosti”, the Russian economic school and Moscow School of management SKOLKOVO. Also scheduled to speak at the conference, the Eurasian development Bank”, — he said.
In early 2013, Guriev was summoned for questioning at Investigative Committee, and his house was searched. Shortly thereafter, Guriev left Russia and emigrated to France, where he became a Professor of Economics at the Paris School of political Sciences (Sciences Po). In November 2015, Sergei Guriev became the first Russian to the post of chief economist of the European Bank for reconstruction and development (EBRD).
His departure, the economist explained by the fear of possible involvement as a suspect in a “parent” case of Yukos, the so-called “business experts”. Guriev, in particular, participated in the preparation of the report on the second criminal case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, the text of which was questioned, the proof of guilt of the business and the legality of their convictions.
Himself Guriev emphasized that he would not return to Russia until, “until there is at least a tiny chance to lose freedom.” The President of Russia Vladimir Putin, commenting on the departure of the economist, assured that the former rector of NES “nobody threatened”. The head of state underlined that if Guriev want to return to Russia, he can do it, and also urged “not to inflate the problem.”
Guriev, responding to the words of the President, explained that he had gone abroad because “abnormal” in Russia is quickly becoming the norm. The economist, in particular, described how he was regularly interrogated as a witness in the case, as the investigators threatened him, monitored, conducted unexpected searches and even seized electronic correspondence for five years. However, he noted that his Russian friends consider “acceptable risks” and that we need to continue to go in for questioning, but he is expert to bear such risks are not wanted, although when moving to France “lost a lot”.
In early may of 2015, “Interfax” reported the termination of the investigation in respect of a group of lawyers and economists. However, in June 2015, found that the investigation in the case of experts did not stop, it followed from the response of the investigator for special important cases of the TFR. Including for this reason the experts have not returned the seized during interrogations property contrary to the relevant applications which were submitted in may after the appearance of data on the termination of the case.
Themselves experts and lawyers said that after the pardon of Khodorkovsky in December 2013, the investigators did not bother.
