Igor Pestrikov, a former co-owner of the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant, has applied for political asylum in France, according to Vedomosti, which examined documents from the High Court of England and Wales. The British court's account indicates that French authorities had not granted his application at the time of the property dispute proceedings.
In Britain, Pestrikov is seeking approximately $1 billion in compensation for shares in the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant and the Lovozero Mining and Processing Plant that were seized in Russia. He named Alexander Gutin, a former chairman of the Solikamsk plant's board, as the defendant. According to Vedomosti, Gutin acted as a lawyer for the seller of the shares, Cyprus-based Canemare Enterprises, in a 2015 transaction.
Pestrikov has been sentenced in Russia to eight years in prison and placed on an international wanted list, Vedomosti reported.