Trepashkin claims that the raid uncovered bugging devices used by the extortionists, whose serial numbers linked their origin to the FSB or Ministry of Defense.

[4] In 1997, Trepashkin wrote a letter to President Boris Yeltsin attempting to bring light to the case and corruption in the FSB.

[5] At a press conference on 17 November 1998, Alexander Litvinenko, Victor Shebalin and other members of FSB claimed to have received an order to kill Boris Berezovsky and Trepashkin.

The group members claimed that the order came from an FSB department called URPO, the Division of Operations against Criminal Organizations.

Two sisters whose mother was killed in one of the houses hired Trepashkin to represent them in the trial of two Russian Muslims accused of transporting explosives for the bombings.

[12] Trepashkin suffered from asthma with bronchial attacks on a daily basis, itching dermatosis and pain in the area of his heart, and he needed medical treatment.

However, he told Amnesty International that he was denied medical treatment, held in a freezing punishment cell, and transported with imprisoned tuberculosis patients who "were coughing right into your face because they were unable to either cover their mouths or turn away.

[14] The case of Trepashkin caught the attention of the Western press,[15] caused an uproar among human rights campaigners,[16][17][18][19][20] was put on record by Amnesty International, mentioned by the US State Department[21] and featured in an award-winning documentary Disbelief.

[22][23] American war correspondent Scott Anderson wrote a story about his interviews with Trepashkin for the September 2009 issue of the GQ magazine.