The key facts

  • Igor Pestrikov has applied for political asylum in France
  • In London, he is demanding about $1 billion from Alexander Gutin
  • The information was obtained from materials of the High Court of England and Wales

Asylum in France and a lawsuit in London

Igor Pestrikov, former co-owner of the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant (SMZ), has applied for political asylum in France. This was reported by Gazeta.Ru citing Vedomosti, which analyzed materials from the High Court of England and Wales. In the same court, Pestrikov is seeking compensation for lost Russian assets: he is demanding a payment of about $1 billion from Alexander Gutin, former chairman of the SMZ board of directors. The publications do not report any decisions made on either the asylum application or the lawsuit; the Gazeta.Ru article is marked as being updated.