RUSSIA: RUSSIAN COURT DECIDES TO KEEP OIL MAGNATE MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY IN PRISON UNTIL TRIAL ON FRAUD AND TAX EVASION CHARGES , BEGINS IN MARCH 2004
Record ID:
344976
RUSSIA: RUSSIAN COURT DECIDES TO KEEP OIL MAGNATE MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY IN PRISON UNTIL TRIAL ON FRAUD AND TAX EVASION CHARGES , BEGINS IN MARCH 2004
- Title: RUSSIA: RUSSIAN COURT DECIDES TO KEEP OIL MAGNATE MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY IN PRISON UNTIL TRIAL ON FRAUD AND TAX EVASION CHARGES , BEGINS IN MARCH 2004
- Date: 23rd December 2003
- Summary: (W6) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 23, 2003) (REUTERS -- ACCESS ALL) (NIGHT SCENES) 1. SLV POLICE VANS OUTSIDE OF MOSCOW'S BASMANNI COURT 0.07 2. SLV PRESS 0.11 3. SLV POLICE ESCORT MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY OUT OF COURT HOUSE AND INTO VAN 0.20 4. SLV KHODORKOVSKY SUPPORTERS WITH POSTERS 0.26 5. SLV POLICE VAN DRIVING KHODORKOVSKY OFF TO JAIL 0.47 6. WIDE OF KHODORKOVSKY LAWYERS OUTSIDE OF COURT ROOM 0.51 7. SCU CAMERA OPERATOR 0.56 8. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KHODORKOVSKY'S LAWYER, KARINA MOSKALENKO, SAYING: "What has happened has happened -- the status of detention has been extended for three more months. We assert that this is a violation of Khodorkovsky's rights. We know what violations have been committed. We intend to present them point by point. We intend to take this to the court of appeals. We will see what happens. [pause and turns face] I think that you may be interested in hearing what Khodorkovsky thinks about this. [turns back to camera] He made this tough statement: "I expected neither kindness, nor indulgence, nor lenience. I expected that the law would be observed. And this didn't happen." 1.42 9. SMV PRESS 1.48 10. WIDE OF INTERIOR OF MEETING HALL OF RUSSIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY 1.54 11. SMV RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN 2.02 12. SMV MAN LOOKING AT IMAGE ON DIGITAL CAMERA 2.05 13. SMV DELEGATES LISTENING TO SPEECH 2.11 14. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "Often I hear that the laws then were too complicated, they were impossible to follow. This is nonsense. Yes, the laws then were complicated, mixed up, but they could be obeyed. These are not just words. I have heard these complaints many times. But it is not an issue of complicated mathematics. I have a background in law and I sat down with experts and told them to explain it to me. The laws could have been obeyed and followed in real life. The people who complain about the laws are the ones that knowingly broke them and now they say: "Well, it was all very difficult and we are sorry, but we couldn't not break them." Well, they were wrong, it was possible to obey the law but they didn't want to obey the law. I am certain that the overwhelming majority of the business community did obey the law. Perhaps five, six, or seven people didn't obey the law, but that doesn't mean that everyone else broke the law." 2.58 15. WIDE OF DELEGATES 3.07 16. WIDE OF CONFERENCE 3.13 (W6) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE) (REUTERS -- ACCESS ALL) 17. CLOSE OF EXTERIOR OF YUKOS OIL HEADQUARTERS 3.18 (W6) WESTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA (FILE) (REUTERS -- ACCESS ALL) 18. VARIOUS , WORKERS IN OIL FIELDS (2 SHOTS) 3.30 19. VARIOUS, OIL DRILLING EQUIPMENT (2 SHOTS) 3.44 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th January 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA + WESTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVAD5IFAM76FPEZEFHFCNOT00HWW
- Story Text: Russian court to keep oil baron Khodorkovsky in jail until after Russian
residential elections.
Russia's richest man, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was
taken away to spend his Christmas and New Year holiday in
jail.
Dozens of his supporters who had gathered outside the
Moscow court house could only yell out words of support as
police drove Khodorkovsky away.
For them, the news was bad. Moscow's Basmanni municipal
court extended Khodorkovsky's pre-trial detention until his
case is set to open on March 25, 2004.
Khodorkovsky, the former CEO of oil giant YUKOS, has
been kept at a Moscow jail on fraud and tax evasion charges
since his arrest in October. Many analysts believe the
charges are highly politicised and note that Khodorkovsky
had been funding political parties in opposition to
President Vladimir Putin.
Khodorkovsky's supporters say that their former boss is
being singled out on charges that could be brought against
most anyone who did business in Russia's turbulent
post-Soviet economy.
Commentators have noted that today's ruling will keep
Khodorkovsky locked away until after the March 14
presidential election, which Putin is widely expected to
win.
But prosecutors argued that releasing Khodorkovsky on
bail would allow him to either hide or use his considerable
wealth to influence court witnesses.
And the court agreed.
Khodorkovsky's lawyers denounced the ruling and
delivered a message from their client.
"What has happened has happened -- the status of
detention has been extended for three more months. We
assert that this is a violation of Khodorkovsky's rights.
We know what violations have been committed. We intend to
present them point by point. We intend to take this to the
court of appeals. We will see what happens. I think that
you may be interested in hearing what Khodorkovsky thinks
about this. He made this tough statement: "I expected
neither kindness nor indulgence nor lenience. I expected
that the law would be observed. And this didn't happen,""
said lawyer Karina Moskalenko.
The Kremlin did not publicly comment on the
high-profile ruling, but President Putin has repeatedly
said that he expects the law to be obeyed and enforced.
Addressing the nation's Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, Putin rejected arguments that confusing and
contradictory business laws in the 1990s meant that anyone
engaged in trade would automatically be breaking at least
one set of laws.
"Often I hear that the laws then were too complicated,
they were impossible to follow. This is nonsense. Yes, the
laws then were complicated, mixed up, but they could be
obeyed. These are not just words. I have heard these
complaints many times. But it is not an issue of
complicated mathematics. I have a background in law and I
sat down with experts and told them to explain it to me.
The laws could have been obeyed and followed in real life.
The people who complain about the laws are the ones that
knowingly broke them and now they say: "Well, it was all
very difficult and we are sorry, but we couldn't not break
them." Well, they were wrong, it was possible to obey the
law but they didn't want to obey the law. I am certain that
the overwhelming majority of the business community did
obey the law. Perhaps five, six, or seven people didn't
obey the law, but that doesn't mean that everyone else
broke the law," said Putin.
Putin and his government officials have repeatedly
sought to assure business leaders and foreign capitalists
that the nation remains a safe place for investment.
And the president's already high popularity seems only
boosted by his government's willingness to take on the
nation's most powerful business leaders.
Nearly a decade after a national privatisation
programme, average Russians remain suspicious of the very
few who earned hundreds of millions of dollars buying state
industries on the cheap.
Russia's booming oil industry has made the economy of
the world's fastest growing in recent years, but the
Khodorkovsky case has also started a debate about the
stability of long-term projects.
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