Don’t send me back to Russia begs oligarch’s ex son-in-law

THE former son- in- law of oligarch Boris Berezovsky faces extradition to Russia accused of ordering the murder of a business rival.

Georgy Shuppe, 46, is suspected of arranging the death of property magnate Alexander Mineev in a hail of bullets three years ago.

But the businessman branded the extradition bid ‘frankly Kafkaesque’. His lawyers believe it is driven by the Kremlin’s purge of anyone linked to critics of Vladimir Putin. They argue he has no chance of a fair trial and said extradition would represent a ‘PR coup for Russia unlike any other’.

Mr Shuppe, who lives in a £5million house in Chelsea, London, worked as an aide to Mr Berezovsky and was married to his daughter Yekaterina.

Mr Berezovsky helped Mr Putin to power in 2000 but turned on him, accusing him of running a gangster state. He was found hanged at his Berkshire home four years ago after losing a £3billion High Court battle.

Mr Shuppe says his connections to Mr Berezovsky are a ‘kiss of death’ which have left him in the Kremlin’s cross-hairs.

The extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court is expected to last until Friday.