Vladimir Pereverzin is a former executive of the YUKOS oil company, which was forced into bankruptcy by the Putin administration for what many observers believe were political motivations.  The company’s top executives, including Mr. Pereverzin, were accused of economic crimes and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.  Mr. Pereverzin was released in February 2012 after serving seven years and two months in Russia’s notorious prison system.  He refused to testify against his former colleagues, has steadfastly maintained his innocence, and has never recognized the legitimacy of his prison sentence, which he is contesting in the European Court of Human Rights.  Since his release from prison, he has written a book (Hostage) and given numerous talks about his experiences as a Russian political prisoner.

Mr. Pereverzin will be on campus on Friday, October 4, at 1:15pm in the Irvine Auditorium to speak about his experience as a former Russian political prisoner.