Bow Street magistrates were told that efforts by the Russian government to have the millionaire businessman, Boris Berezovsky, extradited were a politically motivated sham which could place his life in danger.
The extradition proceedings stemmed from Mr Berezovsky's opposition to Mr Putin and the country's security services, according to Alun Jones QC, representing the tycoon. Mr Berezovsky was arrested by British authorities a week ago and his supporters gathered outside the British embassy in Moscow yesterday. He is accused of defrauding the Russian region of Samara of 60bn roubles (£8m) in 1994 and 1995. He appeared alongside Yuli Dubov, a co-director and former chief executive of the LogoVaz car company, who is facing similar accusations.
Mr Jones told the court that the allegations had coincided with Mr Putin's rise to power and Mr Berezovsky's opposition to him and to Russia's security services. He noted Mr Berezovsky had faced other, unrelated, allegations which the Russian authorities had subsequently dropped and that the charges had arisen long after the events alleged to have taken place.
The policy "is to denounce Mr Berezovsky now and we will find a crime later", Mr Jones said.
He added that Mr Berezovsky, whose application for asylum in Britain was turned down last week, lived in fear of assassination by "those loyal to the government and others. His life would be under greater threat if [he was] extradited." Mr Jones said the case was complex and asked for proceedings to be postponed for at least a month.
Mr Berezovsky and Mr Dubov were each remanded on £100,000 bail until May 13. The bail conditions included one that Mr Berezovsky should live at one of three specified addresses.
After an impromptu press conference outside the court, Mr Berezovsky was driven away in a black limousine followed by a black people-carrier containing aides.
