Russian oligarch 'died from hanging': Post mortem suggests 'no violent struggle' but friends claim Boris Berezovsky was murdered

Oligarch Boris Berezovsky died of injuries ‘consistent with hanging’, a post-mortem examination revealed last night.
Police said a pathologist had found nothing to indicate a ‘violent struggle’ before the Russian died.
The body of Mr Berezovsky, 67, was discovered on the bathroom floor of a £20million Berkshire mansion on Saturday after a bodyguard became concerned and smashed the door open.

British involvement: A senior political figure in Russia has claimed that MI5 or MI6 could have been involved in the death of Boris Berezovsky, pictured with his former girlfriend Elena Gorbunova

Family and friends raced to the bathroom and saw him lying fully clothed with a scarf by his side. They said there was no sign of blood.
The results of the post-mortem examination came as the storm of controversy surrounding the death raged on.

Last night, one family friend claimed Mr Berezovsky’s body showed ‘traces of him being strangled around the neck’. Nikolay Glushkov, 67, said the tycoon’s former wife noticed marks on his neck minutes after he was found dead, adding: ‘A scarf was there. There were traces of him being strangled around the neck.’
Experts in chemical, biological and nuclear emergencies also spent hours combing the house amid fears that Mr Berezovsky could have been poisoned by the Kremlin, but no radiation was found.

Scene: A police car and a police tent are positioned insode the grounds of of late Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky today

Guard: A police van blocks a country lane leading to the oligarch's home this morning as officers comb his home for clues

Secluded: According to those close to the investigation the oligarch left no suicide note at before he was found dead inside a locked bathroom in his home (pictured), with a scarf lying next to him

Another report claimed yesterday that detectives investigating the death did not find a suicide note.
Some friends continue to insist Mr Berezovsky was the victim of a professional hit for speaking out against Vladimir Putin’s regime. Others believe he killed himself after becoming depressed over the loss of his wealth and status.
The mansion in Ascot where he was found is understood to be owned by his former wife Galina Besharova, 54.
Last night her close friend told the Mail: ‘Galina is very upset about Boris’s death, as are their children. She remained close to Boris after they split up and it was at her house that he died.

Claims: Berezovsky was said to have 'begged' Vladimir Putin to let him return to Russia after they fell out in 2000, and Kremlin insider Sergei Markov (right) has argued British spies may have killed him to protect secrets

‘She really does not want to talk about how he died. But there are many ways to induce what may appear to be a natural death like a heart attack.’
As speculation raged on  yesterday, an adviser to Putin even claimed Mr Berezovsky may have been killed by British security services.
Using the inflammatory rhetoric of the Cold War era, Sergei Markov said the tycoon was assassinated because he knew too much about Western plots to undermine Putin and planned to trade this knowledge for a return to Russia.
Mr Markov, a former Russian politician, said: ‘I cannot say no to the version that it was a murder committed by those who were scared Boris Berezovsky would go back to Putin’s side.

Broken: Boris Berezovsky sued former business partner Roman Abramovich for billions of pounds but lost, which those close to him claimed 'destroyed' him

‘I do not exclude that the secret services joined this work. I think they may have guessed that Berezovsky would give away all information, and they decided to get rid of him.
‘In the stock of modern secret services, there are many things . . . which can provoke a heart attack and a stroke, and experts will not diagnose it.’  He added: ‘There is no trust for the British secret services.
‘After their participation in the plot aimed at occupying Iraq, their role in the plot targeting the leader of Libya, then  the plot aimed at knocking down the government in Syria, it is clear that their methods are highly dirty.’

Boris Berezovsky with his ex girlfriend Elena and two children Arina (eight) and Gleb (six). The exiled 67-year-old tycoon was found by his bodyguard at his estate in Ascot on Saturday

Police investigating the death of Mr Berezovsky (pictured here in 2003), one of Vladimir Putin's fiercest opponents, said there is so far no evidence to suggest any third party involvement in his death

Mansion: Police descend on oligarch's multi-million pound home after his body was found

Road block: A forensic investigation unit on a lane close to the scene

Officers specially trained in nuclear materials are searching the house where the oligarch was found dead

Mr Markov denied speculation that a Russian hit squad could have been sent to kill Mr Berezovsky. ‘After all, there are civilised politicians in the Kremlin,’ he added. ‘They do not use the methods of political murders.’
A senior detective said yesterday that there was currently ‘no evidence of third party involvement’ in the death.
Mr Berezovsky was thought to be on the brink of financial ruin after losing a £3billion legal action against his former business partner, Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich.
He had also been facing another court battle brought by former girlfriend Elena Gorbunova, who had applied to the High Court to freeze his reported £200million assets.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Mr Berezovsky was one of the most powerful men in Russia and helped choose Putin as president. However, he emigrated to the UK in 2000 and became one of Putin’s fiercest critics.
He survived a number of assassination attempts, including a bomb in his car which decapitated his chauffeur.

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear trained officers searched his multi-million pound home

The exiled 67-year-old tycoon nicknamed the 'godfather of the Kremlin', is reported to have been found by his bodyguard at his mansion

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