Russia: Moscow Tries to Pluck A Thorn in Its Side

When YEVGENI PRIMAKOV became Prime Minister last September, he told a confidant that he would like to see BORIS BEREZOVSKY behind bars or permanently residing in another country. Berezovsky, one of the most influential and feared figures in the world of Russian business and politics, ignored the warnings. Now he is discovering how dangerous Primakov can be. A series of police raids, news leaks and crackdowns on major corporations owned or controlled by Berezovsky has left him fighting for his political life–and possibly his freedom. Press reports, leaked by the Federal Security Service, TIME was told, accuse Berezovsky of bugging the Yeltsin family’s communications. Government sources hint that Berezovsky, who until now has appeared untouchable, might fall victim to Primakov’s new anticorruption campaign.

–By Paul Quinn-Judge/Moscow