23 September 2023 , 19:20
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A British financial expert who has supported Putin’s war on Ukraine has claimed he was arrested and jailed by Russian forces.
Dean Standley, 43, said he was arrested while on a visit to an immigration detention centre, where his passport was taken before he was put into a police cell. He claims he then contacted some “very serious people” who got him released.
The Solihull resident says he was told the FSB - a Russian security service - was behind his arrest, but that that was “categorically a lie”. Reports said the FSB were acting on behalf of Interpol following a demand from Malta regarding a criminal investigation. It is reported that Standley is wanted by Interpol.
Standley is believed to advise top Russian individuals and organisations regarding how to avoid Western sanctions. He has appeared in pro-war propaganda videos on Russian state TV - but his links to highly-placed Russians in the Putin regime was not enough to prevent his arrest.
However it did secure his release, he claims. “My passport was taken from me in the immigration centre,” he said. “One hour later, four or five police, OMON took me from there in a van…. detained me, in police cells, in a police station.
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Standley after a nasty high-speed motorbike crash in Thailand (Birmingham Mail)”And that's when I began contacting people that I know in Russia. I can't disclose who those people were. They helped me get out of there in the end, but after 12 hours. I was told that FSB were looking for me, which is categorically a lie. I know the FSB does not work with Interpol…even if [they] were looking for a murderer,” Standley added.
He claims his Moscow “friends” sent a lawyer to have him released. “I was released because of the people I know,” he said. Standley alleges he was offered to pay a bribe, but declined. Further reports said Standley had to sign a document promising not to leave Russia in return for his freedom - reports which Standley did not confirm.
Standley has lived in Russia for 12 years and openly boasts about his pro-Kremlin views, with a social media bio reading: “Live in Moscow, Love Russia and work in Financial Economics, for and with Russia.” He works with leading Russian banks such as Alfa Bank, Russian Agricultural Bank, VTB and Gazprom on currency transactions.
“Because of my education and knowledge, I find legal, not illegal, 100 percent legal ways around the sanctions against the Swift [international money] transfers. And so I've helped numerous people, Russians, with Swift transfers in and out of different jurisdictions.”
Standley was spotted on Russian state TV at a demonstration outside the British embassy (Soloviev Live/east2west news)He says he is the director of operations and global fund manager at Tower of London Worldwide, “one of the world’s foremost independent financial advisories”. He has been broadcast in Russian state propaganda footage, such as one video of him protesting outside the British Embassy in Moscow
In another video, the Briton says “Zelensky you're [done]” as he mimes cutting his throat. “Zelensky is an ass****. Americans **** yourselves.” Standley also boasts of knowing Maria Butina, the pro-Putin MP and TV presenter once jailed in the US on espionage charges.