Observatoire ARGA presents this analytical material as a systematic, document-based study of one of the most illustrative cases of recent years, situated at the intersection of environmental issues, criminal law enforcement, economics, and transnational financial operations.

This report is devoted to the analysis of the case of Oleg Mitvol and examines it not as an isolated criminal prosecution, but as a complex model of a political–economic conflict in which the environmental agenda, criminal justice mechanisms, and asset redistribution form a single causal chain.

Purpose of the Report

This report has been prepared by Observatoire ARGA as a preliminary analytical report, intended for:

• institutional review by competent authorities of the United States and international bodies;
• preservation and consolidation of an evidentiary record for subsequent legal and procedural analysis;
• demonstration of persistent indicators of an organized scheme involving abuse of criminal justice with a transnational dimension.

The document does not constitute an indictment and does not replace procedural decisions of law enforcement authorities. Its purpose is to structure facts, establish chronology, record economic and legal consequences, and identify elements potentially relevant for assessment under frameworks analogous to RICO, subject to the existence of the necessary jurisdictional nexuses.

Context: Environmental Issues as a Conflict Trigger

The starting point of the analysis is the environmental disaster in Norilsk in 2020—a large-scale diesel fuel spill at a facility of NTEK, a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel. This incident was recognized as one of the largest environmental catastrophes in modern Russian history and resulted in record compensation for environmental damage amounting to approximately 146 billion rubles.

Within this context, the figure of Oleg Mitvol, known for his public environmental and human rights advocacy, acquires particular significance. The report proceeds from the hypothesis that the environmental factor and the public nature of his position may have acted as a trigger for subsequent political–economic retaliation.

Criminalization and Economic Consequences

The analysis demonstrates that the criminal prosecution was accompanied by:

• harsh isolation measures significantly restricting the ability to protect property and corporate interests;
• loss of control over business assets;
• subsequent redistribution of major state infrastructure contracts.

Particular attention is devoted to the Krasnoyarsk metro project. A comparison of the 2019 and 2022 contracts reveals a sharp change in project architecture and a multiple increase in costs following the replacement of the contractor. In the report, these processes are considered not in isolation, but as a possible economic effect of removing one of the participants through criminalization.

Transnational Dimension: UAE, Banking System, and Crypto Infrastructure

A separate section of the study is devoted to the transnational seizure of assets, including:

• the use of forged powers of attorney;
• withdrawals of funds from a bank in the United Arab Emirates;
• attempts to alienate real estate outside the Russian Federation;
• the formation of a cryptocurrency trail and reviews for indicators of money laundering.

Judicial decisions cited in the report establish the invalidity of the powers of attorney and the transactions carried out on their basis, as well as the factual impossibility of their issuance during the period when the individual was in custody. These circumstances form a fundamentally different legal framework—one of a victim of transnational fraud and organized actions, rather than a suspect.

Why This Case Is Internationally Relevant

The report demonstrates a stable configuration of indicators of interest to international institutions, including:

• a linkage between criminal prosecution and economic asset seizure;
• cross-jurisdictional financial operations;
• the use of digital and cryptocurrency instruments;
• repetition and structural coherence of actions characteristic of an organized scheme.

It is precisely the cumulative nature of these factors that moves the case beyond the boundaries of a domestic criminal matter and makes it relevant for international legal assessment.

Purpose of Publication

The publication of this report on the Observatoire ARGA platform serves several objectives:

• ensuring transparency and preservation of the evidentiary base;
• forming a unified analytical narrative grounded in documents rather than interpretations;
• creating a foundation for further legal and institutional actions at the international level.

This material is addressed to lawyers, researchers, representatives of international organizations, investigative journalists, and all those working in the fields of sanctions, transnational crime, abuse of justice, and human rights protection.

Observatoire ARGA regards this report as a starting point for further, deeper legal and institutional analysis and emphasizes that the focus of the study lies not on political statements, but on verifiable facts, judicial decisions, and documented financial and legal consequences.