The Preobrazhensky District Court of Moscow sentenced businessman and philanthropist Boris Zimin in absentia to nine years in a penal colony for large-scale fraud, reported «Interfax». He was also fined 1 million rubles and banned from managing commercial organizations for two years.
The criminal case against Zimin was initiated in connection with a deal to alienate shares of the car-sharing company BelkaCar Ltd. According to the investigation, from February 2017 to October 2019, the businessman organized the embezzlement of 100% of the shares of a commercial organization worth 367 million rubles. The businessman himself called his criminal prosecution political.
In January 2023, Zimin was put on the federal wanted list and arrested in absentia.
Zimin left Russia in 2004 and currently resides in the United Kingdom. He was the founder of the «Sreda» foundation, which supported independent Russian media. In 2015, the foundation was recognized as a «foreign agent», after which the organization announced its self-liquidation. In September 2022, the Ministry of Justice also recognized Zimin himself as a «foreign agent».
In addition, the businessman was a member of the board of the foundation for the support and development of Russian fundamental science «Dynasty». This project was created by his father, philanthropist Dmitry Zimin, who passed away in 2021. In 2015, «Dynasty» also ceased its activities due to being included in the register of «foreign agents».
In October 2020, Alexei Navalny** reported that Boris Zimin paid for a private plane that transported the politician from Omsk to Germany after his poisoning.
Currently, the entrepreneur heads the Zimin Foundation, which has launched several programs to assist students, scientists, and journalists who were forced to leave Ukraine and Russia.
* Recognized as a «foreign agent» in Russia.
** Included in the list of «terrorists and extremists».
Photo: DW