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Russian tycoon blames Moscow for blasts
About 300 people died in the blasts
Exiled Russian media tycoon Boris Berezovsky says he believes Moscow orchestrated the 1999 bombings of apartment blocks in Russian cities which triggered Russia's onslaught in Chechnya.
At a news conference in London, Mr Berezovsky presented what he said was evidence that the bombings were the work of the Russian security service, the FSB.
Why does (Putin) continue to block investigations into the deadliest terrorist attacks in our history? |
Boris Berezovsky |
A spokesman for the FSB in Russia told the Interfax news agency that the allegations were "groundless and lacking in common sense".
The blasts, which killed about 300 people, were blamed on Chechen rebels and shortly afterwards Mr Putin launched a second war against Chechnya.
The military operation had massive support from a public outraged by the bombings.
Documentary evidence
But Mr Berezovsky said intelligence agents, investigative journalists and explosives experts had convinced him that the FSB was to blame.
Berezovsky is now out of terms with the Kremlin
Security authorities said the Ryazan incident was an "exercise" but Mr Berezovsky and his team showed date- and time-stamped pictures which they said proved that the detonator found at Ryazan was real and said local police experts said traces of explosives were found.
He also has the backing of a Russian explosives expert, ex-FSB member and former director of the Russian Conversion Explosives Centre, Nikita Chekulin, who says that before the bombings, security services purchased large amounts of the explosive Hexogen, said to have been found at Ryazan.
Mr Berezovsky says the fact that no-one has ever been brought to justice for the bombings is further proof that they were not the result of Chechens.
Putin 'compliant'
The tycoon said that the subsequent campaign in Chechnya aided Mr Putin's rise to power.
"The FSB thought that Putin would not be able to come to power through lawful democratic means," he said. "I am not saying that Putin ordered the attacks.. but what I am saying is that he knew such things were taking place."
Troops were soon sent back to Chechnya
He called on President Putin to order an inquiry into the bombings.
"Ever since Putin came to power, people have been asking: Is he really a democratic president of Russia or simply an old-style dictator putting on a show for the West?... Why does he continue to block investigations into the deadliest terrorist attacks in our history?", he said.
"I am calling for an open and independent investigation."
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