An official murder probe has been launched in London after authorities determined the cause of death suffered by prominent Russian businessman and anti-Putin advocate Nikolai Glushkov, who was found deceased in his home this past Monday, March 12. Counter-terrorism forces have also been brought forth to aid in the investigation, according to recent sources.
The London Evening Standard reports that it was only earlier Friday, March 16, that Scotland Yard officials admitted to the public that Glushkov’s death was, in fact, caused deliberately and not “unexplained” as they were previously insisting. The long-time pal of Boris Berezovsky, a well-known critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, lost his life due to “compression to the neck.”
A specially ordered post-mortem examination took place yesterday, March 15, reveals Business Insider UK , at the request of Scotland Yard officials. The pathology report for the exiled Russian national was received by London authorities the next day, with police wasting no time at all in revealing the news to the public.
Although Nikolai Glushkov’s murder is undoubtedly upsetting and considered a tragedy by most, the political community, on the whole, is none too surprised. After all, Boris Berezovsky himself was found dead in his ex-wife’s south England home back in 2013, with it being believed by the majority of anti-Russia advocates that his outspoken views on Vladimir Putin’s politics and on the nation’s political situation, on the whole, had resulted in there having been an order executed to silence him.
Russian exile Nikolai #Glushkov found dead at his London home – my breaking story https://t.co/SRKqbpopMw
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) March 13, 2018
The 67-year-old’s cause of death was ruled as a hanging, with law enforcement unable to give an official statement as to whether this was self-inflicted or the result of murder, due to “conflicting evidence” having come up during the coroner’s report. The post-mortem exam did, however, show that there were no signs of a struggle before Berezovsky’s death.
Glushkov was granted political asylum in the United Kingdom after he was charged twice with fraud back in his home country. He had been residing at his New Malden home for two years prior to his death. The home is still, at the current time, being heavily guarded by security with access to the area roped off.
