Self-exiled entrepreneur Yevgeny Chichvarkin said Friday that he is temporarily stepping away from Russias opposition, slamming activists forfighting each other rather of unifying against the Kremlin.Ive decided to withdraw from the Russian opposition for now, up until my coworkers and buddies refocus on battling the bloody, monstrous, disgraceful Putin regime, Chichvarkin stated in a video published on his YouTube channel.Chichvarkin, 50, co-founded the smart phone seller Yevroset in the late 1990s, growing it into a major brand name.
He left to Britain in 2008, saying he feared for his life if imprisoned in Russia, where he dealt with extortion and kidnapping charges he declared were politically motivated.Those charges were dropped in 2011.
Chichvarkins announcement on Friday comes amidst an ongoing disagreement in between prominent opposition blogger Maxim Katz and Alexei Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK)the most recent scandal to rock Russias fragmented political opposition.Last month, Katz launched a report accusing FBK of whitewashing the credibilities of fugitive bankers Alexander Zheleznyak and Sergei Leontiev.
FBK reacted by calling Katzs report lies, manipulations and blatant omissions of troublesome documents.Chichvarkin said he does not think there are any figures in the opposition who reflect the spirit, aspirations, or desires of the Russian people, which he stated can just be comprehended by those who have actually remained in Russia.In what seemed a tongue-in-cheek endorsement, Chichvarkin called entrepreneur and Instagram influencer Nikolai Vasilenko as a prospective unifying figure.
Vasilenko, 55, got appeal this fall for posting favorable affirmations while sporting a well-groomed beard and high-end designer brands.