Most of the oligarchs were Putins main rivals in the early days, and well, more than a couple of them have had unfortunate accidents. Journalists and human rights critics have also had unfortunate accidents as well.
Then, of course there's Liberal Russia, whose leader started it up one day and was murdered the next. Then, of course there's Nemtsov, although to be fair his death could equally have been done to put Putin in a bad light, since it was pretty damn obvious.
Then there's journalists, like Elena Kostyuchenko, who haven't exactly been well treated by the custodial services of Russia.
Let's face it, if Putin sees you as a threat, you suddenly become arrested for financial improperity, or you die. Putin isn't stupid, and he's doing no less than hundreds of leaders before him and after him have done. Even the western democracies have no doubt made people disappear, it's what political leaders do. Anyone who plays that game knows it, the best thing to do is make yourself too big to go quietly.
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