If he'll benefit from jailing Berezovsky, he'll jail him

Boris Berezovsky, on President Putin

Mr Berezovsky would be a strong contender for the title of the most unpopular man in Russia - and his resignation from parliament is widely interpreted as another piece of manoeuvring from a master of political intrigue.

Quite where this manoeuvring is leading, however, no-one knows, except possibly Mr Berezovsky himself.

Mr Berezovsky says he is gathering support among parliamentary deputies, and among regional governors, to create a party of opposition to President Putin - but it's hard to see why this should be easier for him to do from outside the parliament.

Among some of the Russian media there is still a suspicion that he is merely creating a smokescreen, and actually remains a member of Mr Putin's inner circle.

Clutching at straws

Supporters of this theory point out that while several of the most powerful Russian businessmen, or their companies, have been charged with tax evasion, Mr Berezovsky and his protege Roman Abramovich - head of the Sibneft oil company - have so far remained untouched.

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They could even stand to profit, the theory goes, from the misfortune of their rivals.

An alternative theory says that Mr Berezovsky is clutching at straws, trying any trick to preserve his political influence, after being given the cold shoulder by Mr Putin - a leader he helped to choose as Mr Yeltsin's successor.

Some journalists have pointed out that Mr Berezovsky was himself called for questioning on Friday in connection with a case of suspected embezzlement at Aeroflot, and could soon find that he too is facing criminal charges.

A case was opened against him in 1999, but soon petered out - though whether this was for lack of evidence, or because he enjoyed political protection, was never fully explained.

Show trials

By resigning his parliamentary seat Mr Berezovsky is throwing away his deputy's immunity from prosecution - though he is probably correct when he notes that this was worthless anyway.

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"Putin is a rational man, if I've understood him correctly," he told the Izvestia newspaper.

"If he'll benefit from jailing Berezovsky, he'll jail him. If he won't benefit from it, he'll leave him at liberty."

Among Russian liberals there are many who agree with Mr Berezovsky that there is something dangerous about the increasing concentration of political power in the hands of the president.

There are also those who fear that the investigations launched into the oligarchs' business dealings seem more like show trials than a strict and just application of the law.

However, there is little chance of liberals embracing Mr Berezovsky as one of their own - neither now nor any time soon.