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Russia Questioned in YUKOS Case
The European Court of Human Rights has sent 15 questions to Russian authorities concerning the case of former YUKOS head Mikhail Khodorkovsky, to be answered before the case begins hearings. The questions were given to Russia's representative at the court, Veronika Milinchuk. Among the questions is why Khodorkovsky was kept in a metal cage in court and why he was not allowed to exercise. The questions concern both the trial and Khodorkovsky's subsequent detention in a prison colony.
This is the second case Khodorkovsky has brought before the court. It was filed in March of last year. The first, concerning the legality of his pretrial confinement, has not been considered by the court yet.
Khodorkovsky and his lawyers hold that Russia violated articles 6 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal” and “respect for his private and family life”). Khodorkovsky also contends that his trial was politically motivated, which the court notes in its communiqué.
The court asks about the conditions of Khodorkovsky's confinement and the independence of the court. It also asks about analogical tax cases, whether confining him to a metal cage in court interfered with the presumption of innocence, the basis for choosing the colony he is confined to, his inability to make telephone calls from prison and other questions. The court wants answers by next February.
In October, the court awarded Platon Lebedev, Khodorkovsky's codefendant, &eurl;10,000 for procedural errors during the trial, in a vote of 4 to 3. Milinchuk has appealed that ruling.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 05, 2007
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