Rule of law and business
Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been in jail since 2003. He's likely to remain in jail until 2017. He was once the richest man in Russia. Most observers agree that his crime was to oppose Vladimir Putin politically.As his second trial ended, he made a plea for rule of law and freedom for businesses. Is this like the legal assumption in the USA that corporations are individuals? Or is it a civic plea for human rights?
Mikhail Khodorkovsky attacks 'sick' Russian state
Jailed oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky urged a judge in Moscow today to end his days "slurping gruel" in prison, saying the fate of every Russian was tied up with his own. Khodorkovksy was speaking on the final day of his trial for allegedly stealing $25bn (£15.6bn) of crude oil from subsidiaries of his own Yukos oil company, a charge widely seen as vengeance for his financing of political parties opposing the Kremlin.
"A state that destroys its best companies, which are ready to become global champions, a country that holds its own citizens in contempt, trusting only the bureaucracy and the special services, is a sick state," he told a packed courtroom…
Political analysts believe the Kremlin wants to ensure Khodorkovsky is not released in the runup to the 2012 presidential elections…
Excerpts from Khodorksovsky's statement to the court.
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Labels: dissent, human rights, rule-of-law, Russia
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:14 AM
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