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| Alexander Lebedev sentenced to 150 hours of community service | Alexander Lebedev sentenced to 150 hours of community service |
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| The Russian media tycoon Alexander Lebedev was sentenced to 150 hours' community service on Tuesday after being found guilty of battery for punching a fellow businessman on television two years ago. | The Russian media tycoon Alexander Lebedev was sentenced to 150 hours' community service on Tuesday after being found guilty of battery for punching a fellow businessman on television two years ago. |
| Lebedev, the financial backer of the Independent and Evening Standard, avoided a hefty prison sentence after prosecutors surprisingly dropped their demands that he be found guilty of "hooliganism motivated by political hatred", a charge that carries up to five years in jail. | Lebedev, the financial backer of the Independent and Evening Standard, avoided a hefty prison sentence after prosecutors surprisingly dropped their demands that he be found guilty of "hooliganism motivated by political hatred", a charge that carries up to five years in jail. |
| A Moscow judge handed down an even more lenient sentence for battery than that demanded by prosecutors, who had been seeking "limits" to Lebedev's freedom for 21 months, probation-style restrictions that would ban him from attending large gatherings. | A Moscow judge handed down an even more lenient sentence for battery than that demanded by prosecutors, who had been seeking "limits" to Lebedev's freedom for 21 months, probation-style restrictions that would ban him from attending large gatherings. |
| Lebedev said he would appeal. "You remember when Naomi Campbell attacked a policeman? She was probably guilty. I wasn't," he said, referring to the supermodel who pleaded guilty in 2008 to assaulting two police officers at Heathrow. "I was protecting myself against a dangerous hooligan," he said. | Lebedev said he would appeal. "You remember when Naomi Campbell attacked a policeman? She was probably guilty. I wasn't," he said, referring to the supermodel who pleaded guilty in 2008 to assaulting two police officers at Heathrow. "I was protecting myself against a dangerous hooligan," he said. |
| The eccentric Russian businessman was charged in September 2012, a year after he punched Sergei Polonsky, a real estate tycoon, during the filming of a heated TV chat show on the global financial crisis. The charges were brought after Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, publicly referred to the incident as an act of hooliganism. | The eccentric Russian businessman was charged in September 2012, a year after he punched Sergei Polonsky, a real estate tycoon, during the filming of a heated TV chat show on the global financial crisis. The charges were brought after Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, publicly referred to the incident as an act of hooliganism. |
| Lebedev always insisted that the case against him was fabricated, motivated by overzealous law-enforcement agencies that had taken a cue from Putin and sought to punish him for his campaign against corruption and his co-ownership of Novaya Gazeta, Russia's main investigative newspaper. | Lebedev always insisted that the case against him was fabricated, motivated by overzealous law-enforcement agencies that had taken a cue from Putin and sought to punish him for his campaign against corruption and his co-ownership of Novaya Gazeta, Russia's main investigative newspaper. |
| It appears that high-ranking Russian officials intervened in the months-long case just before the verdict was to be handed down, Lebedev said last week. | It appears that high-ranking Russian officials intervened in the months-long case just before the verdict was to be handed down, Lebedev said last week. |
| "The judge was not free to rule 'not guilty', like all the judges who sentence millions of people a year," Lebedev said, noting that Russia's conviction rate stands at more than 99%. | "The judge was not free to rule 'not guilty', like all the judges who sentence millions of people a year," Lebedev said, noting that Russia's conviction rate stands at more than 99%. |
| His son Evgeny, who owns his father's two newspapers, said: "I am relieved that my father has been spared a custodial sentence, and that this deeply worrying time for our family is finally at an end. | His son Evgeny, who owns his father's two newspapers, said: "I am relieved that my father has been spared a custodial sentence, and that this deeply worrying time for our family is finally at an end. |
| "We are grateful for the messages of support we have received from friends and well-wishers, in Russia and around the world," he said. | "We are grateful for the messages of support we have received from friends and well-wishers, in Russia and around the world," he said. |
| A jail term for Lebedev, a highly public figure both in Russia and abroad, would have dealt a further blow to Russia's already poor reputation on human rights and clean conduct of business. | A jail term for Lebedev, a highly public figure both in Russia and abroad, would have dealt a further blow to Russia's already poor reputation on human rights and clean conduct of business. |
| Polonsky never appeared at the trial, spending much of it in Cambodia, where he was later charged with assaulting a group of fishermen. He is now believed to have fled to Israel. Last week, he also called for the charges against Lebedev to be dropped, following months of issuing written and video statements calling for the media tycoon's head. | Polonsky never appeared at the trial, spending much of it in Cambodia, where he was later charged with assaulting a group of fishermen. He is now believed to have fled to Israel. Last week, he also called for the charges against Lebedev to be dropped, following months of issuing written and video statements calling for the media tycoon's head. |
| Lebedev said that if he lost his appeal and was forced to do community service he had some ideas, including improving corporate governance at the state gas behemoth Gazprom, conducting a corruption investigation for the Economy Ministry or working as a special prosecutor on corruption. | Lebedev said that if he lost his appeal and was forced to do community service he had some ideas, including improving corporate governance at the state gas behemoth Gazprom, conducting a corruption investigation for the Economy Ministry or working as a special prosecutor on corruption. |
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