The bizarre events surrounding the prosecution of Alexander Lebedev in Russia have reached a farcical level.
His accuser, Sergei Polonsky, is taunting him with tweets from Israel and showing no signs of turning up in Moscow to give evidence at the trial.
He was tracked down by the Mail on Sunday's reporter, Christian Gysin, to a luxury apartment in Tel Aviv.
But Polonsky is aware that the authorities will go ahead without him, accepting his written statement about Lebedev having assaulted him on TV and allowing him not to be cross-examined.
Lebedev, who has been charged with hooliganism, claims he was provoked by Polonsky, a real estate tycoon, before they stepped before the TV cameras in September 2011. Lebedev was then seen by viewers to punch Polonsky.
It is possible that the future of the newspapers owned by Lebedev's family - including The Independent and London Evening Standard - hangs on the outcome of his trial.
The auguries do not look good for Lebedev. Acquittal in Russia is rare. In 2010, it was estimated that the country had a 99% conviction rate.
And there is a political dimension to the case. President Putin is no friend of Lebedev's and he is known to be extremely irritated by the editorial content of a Moscow paper co-owned by Lebedev, Novaya Gazeta.
If found guilty, Lebedev could be jailed for five years. It is uncertain what would then happen to his Russian business interests, the foundation of his fortune.
