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Investigation into Russian opposition figure not political, assures Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov also stressed that this matter is outside of the Kremlin’s purview, noting that this issue should be addressed to law enforcement agencies

MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/. A probe involving Dmitry Gudkov, a Russian opposition figure, is not political, and this situation does not affect the investment climate, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"This is hardly related to the investment atmosphere," he said, when asked how this situation may affect the Russian investment climate, especially during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"This can hardly be associated with some political claims. Because the allegations we read about presented by law enforcement have nothing to do with politics," the Kremlin official affirmed. Peskov also stressed that this matter is outside of the Kremlin’s purview, noting that this issue should be addressed to law enforcement agencies.

On April 28, the Moscow police launched a criminal case over major property damage through deception or breach of trust (Article 165 Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code). Gudkov is a suspect in the case in question, and he is currently at a detention center in Moscow.

According to the investigation, the aforementioned damages total 1 mln rubles (approximately $13,601).

The injured party is the City Property Department of Moscow, which owned the property rented in 2015-2017 by OOO Sektor 2A, a company headed by Gudkov’s aunt Irina Yermilova.