Vladimir Davydov Head of the Moscow Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service. Country: Russia

1. Vladimir Davydov: Head of Moscow's Federal Penitentiary Service
2. Early Career and Appointment as FSIN Head
3. Enhanced Security Measures and Khodorkovsky's Imprisonment
4. Legal Disputes and Controversies

Vladimir Davydov: Head of Moscow's Federal Penitentiary Service

Vladimir Davydov has been the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) of Moscow since 2005. He is known for his involvement in the imprisonment of former Yukos oil company CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky and for his role in several legal disputes related to Khodorkovsky's detention.

Early Career and Appointment as FSIN Head

Prior to his appointment as FSIN head in Moscow, Davydov served as deputy to the previous chief, Victor Zlodev, from 2003 onwards. He had also worked in the Central Federal District and as first deputy head of the GUIN in the Saratov region. In May 2005, he was appointed to his current position as FSIN head in Moscow, with the rank of colonel. He was later promoted to general in 2006.

Enhanced Security Measures and Khodorkovsky's Imprisonment

During Davydov's tenure, enhanced security measures were implemented in Moscow's detention centers. In August 2005, a new security system called "Berkut" was introduced, requiring fingerprinting and weighing of all staff, lawyers, and investigators visiting prisons. Davydov claimed this was primarily for the safety of attorneys. However, the Moscow Prosecutor's Office later ruled the experiment illegal.

Davydov has also been involved in several legal cases related to Khodorkovsky's imprisonment in Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina detention center. In 2005, the FSIN filed a lawsuit against Ren-TV, alleging that the channel had falsely reported that Khodorkovsky had gone on a hunger strike.

Legal Disputes and Controversies

In August 2006, the court ruled that certain statements made by Khodorkovsky's attorneys in the Ren-TV program were inaccurate and ordered them to retract them. However, no criminal offense was found in the television host's words. In the same year, Davydov won a lawsuit against Khodorkovsky himself, upholding the decision to transfer the former oil tycoon to a penal colony in Krasnokamensk.