Russia Sends Request to US on Provision of Data on Ex-Minister Lesin Death

Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika sent a request to the US attorney general on provision of documents on circumstances of death of former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, an official in the Prosecutor General's office said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, a medical statement was released to media stating that Lesin, who was also ex-head of Gazprom-Media, died as a result of blunt force injuries of the head, in contradiction to earlier announcements.

Medical statement of the cause of the Mikhail Lesin's death

© Photo : Government of the District of Columbia

"Today Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika sent a request to… US Attorney General Loretta Lynch a request on provision of documents and materials necessary to determine the causes and circumstances of death of Mikhail Lesin," Saak Karapetyan, the chief of the Main Department of international legislative cooperation, said.

According to Karapetyan, the causes of Lesin’s death have not been determined yet.

The former Russian press minister died in Washington, DC on November 5, 2015. Following his death, Lesin's family told media that he died from heart attack.

Lesin was born on July 11, 1958. He served as minister for the affairs of the press, broadcasting and mass communications from 1999 to 2004 and as presidential adviser from 2004 to 2009. He was appointed to head Gazprom-Media holding in October 2013 and resigned in January 2015, citing family reasons. Lesin is also widely credited as the creator of international broadcaster RT.