A prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin has requested asylum in Bulgaria, where he is being held under house arrest after Moscow asked for his extradition.
Nikolai Koblyakov asked for asylum on Wednesday, after a Bulgarian court banned him on Monday from leaving his apartment in Sofia until Russia's extradition request could be considered. Moscow says the request is related to suspicion of fraud dating back to 2004 and 2005. Koblyakov denies the charges and says he fears political persecution by Russian authorities. Koblyakov, 44, is a dual Russian and French citizen who founded the French non-governmental organization Russie-Libertes, which has staged a series of anti-Putin protests in France. "Dear friends, yesterday in a letter I asked the President of Bulgaria to grant me a political asylum in the country because of political persecution by the Russian authorities," Koblyakov wrote on his Facebook account.
Rotterdam, 03/09/2014-INC News
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