Not surprisingly, one-time Russian oil tycoon Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky “was convicted again in Moscow today”:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/world/europe/28russia.html?_r=1&hp. This clears the way for him to remain behind bars throughout the next Russian election cycle (2011-12), and leaves behind the undeniable impression, in the “words of the NY Times”:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/world/europe/28russia.html?_r=1&hp, that the Russian judicial system is “readily manipulated by those in power”. Never a good sign when the reading of your verdict is “postponed to the week between Christmas and New Year’s”:http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9K46FEG0.htm. With that in mind, I just wanted to add The Monkey Cage to the media outlets that are making sure the verdict is indeed reported. To its credit, the White House – which has invested quite a bit in the “reset with Russia”:http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/1223/US-Senate-ratification-of-New-START-treaty-keeps-US-Russia-reset-on-track – was quick to issue a statement condemning the verdict:
bq. We are deeply concerned that a Russian judge today has indicated that for a second time Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev will be convicted. We are troubled by the allegations of serious due process violations, and what appears to be an abusive use of the legal system for improper ends. The apparent selective application of the law to these individuals undermines Russia’s reputation as a country committed to deepening the rule of law. The Russian government cannot nurture a modern economy without also developing an independent judiciary that serves as an instrument for furthering economic growth, ensuring equal treatment under the law, and advancing justice in a predictable and fair way.
“Read the rest of the White House statement by clicking here”:http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/12/27/statement-press-secretary-12272010.