Russia raids homes of Kremlin critic Khodorkovsky’s staff

Russian investigators on Tuesday raided the apartments of employees of Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s Open Russia group, less than two weeks after Moscow charged the former tycoon with murder.

Members of the government’s Investigative Committee searched the homes of Khodorkovsky’s spokeswoman Kulle Pispanen and employees of his opposition group Open Russia.

The group, citing the Investigative Committee, said the searches were connected to an old case over the allegedly fraudulent privatisation in 1994 of a mining and fertiliser company.