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March 30, 2009 As the G20 Gather in London,
Common Sense Goes on Trial in Moscow
As the G20 gather in London, in Russia a so-called 'second' trial against Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev begins. While the political persecution of these two men has been widely seen in the world as a prime example of Russian 'legal nihilism,' it remains to be seen whether the upcoming trial will serve as a symbol of change in Russia and of President Medvedev's commitment to the Rule of Law.
As the preliminary hearings, which started in the Khamovnichesky Court in Moscow on March 3, have demonstrated, the prosecutors' new allegations against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev are unprecedented in monetary scale and in the high level of distortion of both facts and laws. Khodorkovsky and Lebedev are accused of embezzling the entire oil production of Yukos over a six-year period and "laundering" the majority of the proceeds. The allegations are absurd, and completely refuted by defense evidence, which investigators refuse to admit into the case file.
Commenting at the end of the preliminary hearings, Vadim Klyuvgant, lead Russian defense lawyer for Khodorkovsky, said: "The purpose of the pre-trial hearings has been fulfilled, being to unmask the shameful, absurd, and illegal charges put forward by the prosecution. The hearings demonstrated that the prosecution's agenda has nothing to do with ensuring justice is upheld, but everything to do with pushing a vested agenda. It is clear that, along with Khodorkovsky and Lebedev, common sense is also on trial."
"I really doubt it is a fair trial with truly independent judges and prosecution that will take everything into consideration that may exonerate a defendant...I would dispute any sweeping statement that everything Mr. Khodorkovsky is accused of can be generally judged criminal. Some of the acts were performed by everyone, and legal at the time."
-- Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (Former Minister of Justice, Germany and PACE Observer of first trial, Deutsche Welle, 5 March 2009)
"The Kremlin has sent two messages with the Khodorkovsky prosecution and the first is that the Kremlin is going to play a role in determining the fate of the country's natural resources like oil and the second is a warning to businessmen to curb their political ambitions."
-- Allison Gill (Director of the Russia Office of Human Rights Watch, France24, 3 March 2009)
We, the members of the Khodorkovsky and Lebedev legal defense team, fully intend to present a robust defense supported by law. We will continue to demonstrate the absurdity of the charges, the legal defects of the case, and the violations committed in the course of the investigation.
-- Khodorkovsky and Lebedev Legal Defense Team
This is the first in a series of monthly newsletters that will be publised on the Khodorkovsky & Lebedev Communications Center. If you have any questions or would like to hear more about the case, please contact us at info@khodorkovskycenter.com.
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