"We know the names and sums," he said. Lev Ponomarev, one of Russia's foremost rights partisans, is one of such people, alleges Mr. Krayev.
Judging by tapped telephone conversations, Boris Berezovsky is financing the rights league, Amnesty Urals. On the "wanted" list in Russia, the controversial tycoon has settled in the UK as political refugee.
"Moneybags are keeping up organisations of that kind. Here, Big Biz has merged with big-time crime," Krayev went on. As far as he knows, Berezovsky's foundations are financing 163 Russian-based rights leagues, with a monthly 5,000 to 15,000 US dollars to each.
"Godfathers no longer can undermine the regime from within, so they are out to harass particular offices from the outside. They are arranging pressure on penitentiary bodies by rights organisations and suspects' and convicts' lawyers and relations, and help media outlets to circulate hoaxes," holds Valeri Krayev.
Russia's central penitentiary board passed from the Interior Ministry into Justice Ministry subordination several years ago.
