A Russian entrepreneur has put a bounty worth $1million on Russian President, Vladimir Putin's head as he pushes the Russian military to act against the president.
The businessman, Alex Konanykhin says he is committed to helping Ukraine following the Russian invasion eight days ago. He called it his “moral duty” to contribute to the Ukrainian war effort, making the declaration public on the networking site LinkedIn.
The businessman posted: “I promise to pay $1,000,000 to the officer(s) who, complying with their constitutional duty, arrest(s) Putin as a war criminal under Russian and international laws.
“Putin is not the Russian president as he came to power as the result of a special operation of blowing up apartment buildings in Russia, then violated the Constitution by eliminating free elections and murdering his opponents.”
He then attached a photo of Vladimir Putin to the post, pinned with the caption: “Wanted: Dead or alive. Vladimir Putin for mass murder.”
Mr Konanykhin continued: “As an ethnic Russian and a Russia citizen, I see it as my moral duty to facilitate the denazification of Russia.
He called it his “moral duty” to contribute to the Ukrainian war effort.
“I will continue my assistance to Ukraine in its heroic efforts to withstand the onslaught of Putin’s Orda [horde].”
In a separate Facebook post, Mr Konanykhin reiterated his message without the picture of Vladimir Putin, adding: “Facebook banned my post; do you think it was a correct decision?
“I omit the picture as it was a 'dead or alive' poster.”
Mr Konanykhin, a California-based cryptocurrency investor, told Insider he would pay the bounty from his own funds.
He added that he wanted to be clear that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was not representative of his views.
The businessman said: "If enough other people make similar statements, it may increase the chances of Putin getting arrested and brought to justice.”
On whether he feared for his safety after the post, he responded: "Putin is known to murder his opponents.
“He has millions of them now."
The businessman said he had not been back to Russia since 1992, and was arrested in 1996 when he was living in the United States.
Russia claimed Mr Konanykhin had embezzled $8 million from the Russian Exchange Bank.
The US authorities granted him political asylum in 1999, after FBI agents testified his life was in danger because there was a contract on the businessman with the Russian mafia.
His asylum status was then revoked four years later.
He was granted political asylum once again in 2007 after District Judge T S Ellis overruled the cancellation, adding that the choice to send the entrepreneur back to Russia “stinks”.
Mr Konanykin, who still resides in the US, reached a net worth of $300 million, according to Vice.
He has also branched out to become a TV personality, starring in the television series ‘Unicorn Hunters’.
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