The head of Hermitage Capital, William Browder, has called on the UK authorities to reopen the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Russian businessman and Western intelligence whistleblower Alexander Perepilichnyy, who may have been poisoned with the same toxin used against Alexei Navalny. Prior to his death, Perepilichnyy himself said that one of those behind the manhunt against him could be his relative, former senator Amir Gallyamov, who is now reportedly hiding abroad from Russian law enforcement agencies.
Browder sees clear parallels between Perepilichnyy’s death and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, pointing to similar symptoms that preceded both incidents. He believes the same poison may have been used in both cases.
As previously reported by medias, Alexander Perepilichnyy was involved until 2008 in organizing money-laundering schemes for Russian officials and security service figures, transferring funds to Europe. After 2008, he relocated to London and became one of the key informants for Western intelligence agencies, including in the Magnitsky case.
Perepilichnyy died in 2012 during a morning jog near his home in a suburb of London. Initially, police reported that he had suffered a heart attack. However, two years after his death, it was established that a toxic substance had been present in his stomach.
According to medias shortly before his death Perepilichnyy had been speaking via Skype with Russian operatives who had questions for him related to an investigation into the leader of a hitmen group linked to the security services, Walid Lurakhmaev, also known as “Validol.”
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This group carried out assassinations around the world. During a search of Validol’s premises, investigators found a dossier on Perepilichnyy and photographs from his family archive. Perepilichnyy told operatives that he had been involved in moving money out of Russia, including through his company Financial Bridge, which held accounts at Deutsche Bank. He stated that the main supplier of clients for the laundering channel was his wife’s relative, then-senator Amir Gallyamov. Gallyamov not only transferred his own funds abroad but also brought in new clients.
After Perepilichnyy fled Russia, Gallyamov allegedly threatened him. Perepilichnyy was therefore convinced that it was Gallyamov who had ordered his killing through Validol—especially since the photographs found in the hitman’s possession originated from the senator’s own archive. Operatives reportedly shared this assessment.
Sources say that in the 1990s Gallyamov was closely connected to the Izmailovo crime group, leaving behind what they describe as a long “trail of deaths.” During that period, he also became close to another influential former senator, Alexander Shishkin, known as “Sasha Kemerovo.” When they were seizing land near the Pirogovskoye Reservoir, many people reportedly died prematurely. Today, Shishkin owns a large residence on the reservoir with private access to the water and a pier.
It is also noted that Gallyamov was closely associated with another prominent figure from the 1990s, former leader of the Sevastopol crime group, Radik Yusupov, known as “Dragon.” The Sevastopol group was historically allied with the Izmailovo group. Dragon is now involved in several major business schemes. At the same time, Gallyamov was long under the close protection of security services, which reportedly explained his political and legal immunity.
Eventually, Russia’s Investigative Committee decided to question Gallyamov as part of the Validol case. He denied knowing Lurakhmaev, denied threatening Perepilichnyy, and rejected other allegations. Soon after, the matter was quietly dropped for reasons unrelated to investigative work. It later emerged that Validol had simultaneously been using his hitmen on assignments from Russian security services, after which a categorical ban was imposed on any actions against Lurakhmaev.
In recent years, however, Gallyamov’s situation has reportedly worsened. According to a source, he previously enjoyed reliable protection across multiple channels—“thieves-in-law,” security services, and influential figures from Chechnya, including Adam Delimkhanov, whom he has known personally for many years. Gradually, Gallyamov lost many of these connections. As a result, several criminal cases were opened in Russia, prompting the former senator to leave the country.
One such case is linked to a shareholder conflict within the Coffeemania café chain. Gallyamov owns a 25% stake and is engaged in a dispute with the chain’s founder, Igor Zhuravlev. In this case, Gallyamov currently holds the status of a witness. However, according to sources, it was a second case—partially classified—that truly alarmed the former senator. This case was initiated directly against Gallyamov, after which he chose to leave Russia.
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