Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky died in a manner 'consistent with hanging,' British police said in a brief statement Monday evening announcing the results of a postmortem exam.

The exam found 'nothing to indicate a violent struggle,' the statement said.

'Further tests will now be carried out, including toxicology and histology examinations, the results of which are likely to take several weeks,' the statement added. A forensic exam of the countryside home where Mr. Berezovsky died will continue for several days, police said.

Mr. Berezovsky, a formerly powerful oligarch who fled Russia in 2000 after falling out with President Vladimir Putin, was found dead Saturday afternoon by a household employee at a residence in Ascot, England. The employee found him after forcing open a bathroom door that had been locked from the inside, police said earlier this week, adding they had no evidence of third-party involvement in the death.

Friends and former colleagues of Mr. Berezovsky's have described him as depressed in recent months over a series of troubles, including a dramatic courtroom battle he lost last year to rival Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich.

'He was extremelydepressed and very low,' Tim Bell, a prominent London public-relations adviser and longtime friend of Mr. Berezovsky's, said by telephone Monday. 'He'd lost all his money, he'd received a complete characterassassination from a British judge, he was under serious harassment from the Russian authorities. . . . he was having difficulties in his private life.'

Mr. Berezovsky had been taking antidepressants in recent months, according to Mr. Bell, and around Christmas spent 48 hours at the Priory clinic in London being treated for depression. Recently he had been trying to sell 'everything' to pay off his debts, Mr. Bell added.

Alex Goldfarb, who previously worked for Mr. Berezovsky and has known him since 1995, said he last spoke to him by phone two weeks ago. 'He said, 'I'm not well, I'm depressed, I'm taking pills. I think that my life is essentially over,' ' Mr. Goldfarb said Monday. Losing the court case to Mr. Abramovich 'effectively ruined him,' he said.

As Mr. Berezovsky struggled to pay legal bills tied to that case, his relationship with longtime partner Elena Gorbunova was breaking up and descending into a legal battle over his assets. In December, at Ms. Gorbunova's request, a British judge froze some of Mr. Berezovsky's assets and forbade him from selling two seafront properties in the south of France, according to documents from London's High Court.

Lawyers for Ms. Gorbunova declined to comment. Ms. Gorbunova couldn't be reached. Mr. Berezovsky's lawyers from the case didn't respond to requests to comment.

Jeanne Whalen

• violent [´vaiələnt]   a.强暴的；猛烈的   (初中英语单词)
• formerly [´fɔ:məli]   ad.从前，以前   (初中英语单词)
• residence [´rezidəns]   n.居住(期间)；住宅   (初中英语单词)
• series [´siəri:z]   n.连续；系列；丛书   (初中英语单词)
• dramatic [drə´mætik]   a.戏剧的；戏剧般的   (初中英语单词)
• extremely [ik´stri:mli]   ad.极端地；非常地   (初中英语单词)
• prominent [´prɔminənt]   a.突起的；凸出的   (初中英语单词)
• character [´kæriktə]   n.特性；性质；人物；字   (初中英语单词)
• depression [di´preʃən]   n.沮丧，抑郁；萧条   (初中英语单词)
• partner [´pɑ:tnə]   n.伙伴 v.同....合作   (初中英语单词)
• comment [´kɔment]   n.&v.评论；评注；注意   (初中英语单词)
• respond [ri´spɔnd]   v.回答；响应；有反应   (初中英语单词)
• adviser [əd´vaizə]   n.顾问 =advisor   (高中英语单词)
• previously [´pri:viəsli]   ad.预先；以前   (高中英语单词)
• relationship [ri´leiʃənʃip]   n.关系；联系；亲属关系   (高中英语单词)
• countryside [´kʌntrisaid]   n.乡下，农村   (英语四级单词)
• bathroom [´bɑ:θrum, -ru:m]   n.浴室；盥洗室   (英语四级单词)
• trying [´traiiŋ]   a.难堪的；费劲的   (英语四级单词)
• essentially [i´senʃəli]   ad.本质上，基本上   (英语四级单词)
• forbade [fə´beid]   forbid的过去式   (英语四级单词)
• depressed [di´prest]   a.消沉的；萧条的   (英语六级单词)
• assassination [ə,sæsi´neiʃən]   n.暗杀；暗杀事件   (英语六级单词)
• taking [´teikiŋ]   a.迷人的 n.捕获物   (英语六级单词)