Hermitage Capital founder Bill Browder was arrested by Spanish police Wednesday on an Interpol arrest warrant issued by Russia but was released a couple of hours later.
A spokesperson said in a telephone interview that Browder was detained while he was in his hotel in Madrid ahead of a scheduled meeting with a Spanish prosecutor investigating the $230m tax fraud uncovered by lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
Two hours later, Browder tweeted a photo of himself outside a police station with a message saying: “Good news. Spanish National Police just released me after Interpol General Secretary in Lyon advised them not to honour the new Russian Interpol Red Notice. This is the 6th time that Russia has abused Interpol in my case.”
The investor-turned activist has had several arrest warrants issued by Russia against him put aside on the grounds that they were politically motivated.