Willful negligence by U.S. lawyers

I am a former failed asylum seeker from Russia. I requested asylum in the UK in October 2005. My request for asylum in the UK was refused regardless of the fact that I had real and well-grounded fears of persecution from the Russian state due to the fact that I was a witness in a legal lawsuit that had been launched in Washington, D.C. in October 2005 by a group of US-based investors against the Russian Federation, Gazprom, Rosneft and a number of Russian government officials (Mr. Sechin and Mr. Kudrin) related to so-called "YUKOS case" (Allen, et at. v. Russian Federation, et al., Civil No. 05-2077, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, action for expropriation of YUKOS Oil Company).

The lawyers from the leading US law firm Covington & Burling LLP, that represented the US-based investors (including Mr. Allen, a former aide to several US Presidents) had actually totally neglected me as their witness once I had signed my affidavits that were included in the amended lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C. in July 2006. It was obvious that their client, a notorious Russian oil tycoon Mr. Nevzlin, who resides nowadays in Israel and covers all legal fees, didn’t need my assistance (that I had offered voluntarily and free of charge) any longer. I was not of any value any more, at least not alive. They had done nothing to prevent the British authorities from forcing me to return back into Russia. They hadn’t supported my request for asylum in the UK in any way, they hadn’t suggested I should have arrived in the US and requested refugee status there.

During a conference call in London office of the firm with the key legal counsel at the headquarters in Washington I had warned the lawyers that once the British authorities had succeeded in forcing me to return back to Russia, I would undoubtedly have experienced a severe persecution from the Russian authorities for the purpose of forcing me to repudiate my allegations mentioned in the amended lawsuit. To my utter surprise and confusion that senior counsel of the firm, an experienced and worldly-wise lawyer had remarked -“That is complete nonsense”- referring to my fears of returning back to Russia. I was their key and only witness in a very sensitive litigation but they totally neglected me. But it was not a case of gross negligence, in my view. I am sure that was willful and premeditated negligence since I am confident that the British authorities at some point had persuaded US lawyers and Mr. Nevzlin that I had reached or may had been prepared to reach an arrangement with the Russians to disclaim my previous allegations and ruin the litigation. Surprisingly, once I had forcedly returned into Russia, I found out that the US court had declared the lawsuit to be dismissed since it had been considered as not applicable under US jurisdiction regardless of the fact that the rights of US citizens had been negatively affected by defendants. That ruling was made in November 2007, after 2 years since the lawsuit had been filed and strangely coincided with my return to Moscow. There were just several days between the ruling and the date of my departure from London Heathrow airport!

Unfortunately my case is not a unique example when the UK authorities deliberately cooperate with foreign countries to force asylum seekers to return back to their countries of origin where they are to be persecuted.

I requested asylum in the UK in October 2005. It was a rule in the UK at that time that if the Home Office was not in a position to make a decision on a request for asylum for 6 months since the application that a work permit was to be provided for the asylum seeker automatically. I requested a work permit several times after initial 6 months had expired and repeatedly received the same reply – “your case is under a thorough consideration, all steps are taken to expedite the decision-making process”. That process had taken almost a year and a half with no work permit. My request was wrongfully refused in February 2007, two weeks after I had sent a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair and a number of British newspapers. The Home Office, NASS, AIT (Asylum and Immigration Tribunal) and other bodies acted in a clear concerted and well-coordinated pattern to force me to return back to Russia.

To my regret, my experience and ordeals have persuaded me that top officials and leading politicians are well above law not only in Russia. Unfortunately, it seems almost impossible to find ANY legal assistance or press coverage. I have been trying to contact mass media with my story for several years to no avail. Surprisingly, the leading internet portal in Lithuania (a member of EU) has recently (on 27 and 28 of March) published my story due to the fact that I left Russia last February and requested asylum here.

You may equally read my previous topics posted here earlier that will provide you with a relevant background: “Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin: a secret arrangement” and “Putin and Medvedev: the most powerful insider traders?”

I am wondering if there is any chance to find any lawyers who may be trusted with work on a potential legal lawsuit on my behalf, taking into account political sensitivity of my case and my allegations.

I will highly appreciate any comment and your kind advice and suggestions.

 

My understanding is that political refuges are obliged to seak refuge in the closest country - i.e. not the UK in your case.

 

Obliged according to whom?

 

I think it's international law.

 

Never heard that before. Makes me wonder how there are any asylum seekers at all in the US then since only Cubans, Canadians, and Mexicans would qualify under that law and most of the people granted asylum here are from Africa. I think your information might be inaccurate because I am aware of other Russians who were granted asylum in the UK.

 

The main point of this thread id the following. The leading law firm in the U.S.A. hasdn't defended the witness in the litigation in the interests of its clients - U.S.-based investors.
As the U.K. is concerned...Anyone may request asylum in any democratic country which that applicant is currently staying regarding of the difference. If someone has arrived to the UK or USA from Africa, Middle East, Russia. That person may arrive as a tourist, as a businessman, a student... He/she just need to prove that he/she can't return back to their country of origin since there are well-grounded fears of being persecuted, tortured, harassed. My evidence and my grounds had been ignored in the UK and U.S. lawyers just backed off although it was in the interest of their clients (U.S.-based investors to save me as the witness).

By the way, if I had been some Russian crook with a fortune hidden in different offshore jurisdictions I would surely have been much more welcome in the UK. But since I am a decent person who knows too much and not prepared to succumb to pressure from authorities I am equally not welcome neither in Russia not in the UK.

 

Hey, any attorneys out there who like to give free advice? Oh sorry, stupid question. of course attorneys don't do things for free. it's why they are attorneys.