- Title: RUSSIA: JUDGES ADJOURN MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY VERDICT HEARING
- Date: 21st May 2005
- Summary: (BN06) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 20, 2005) (REUTERS) FOR DETAILED SHOTLIST 1 - 12 SEE PROD 6515/05: 1. HAS VEHICLES IN THE COURTYARD OF COURT, FORMER YUKOS CHIEF MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY TAKEN OUT OF CAR THEN CO-DEFENDANT PLATON LEBEDEV TAKEN OUT OF CAR (W2) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 20, 2005) (REUTERS) 2. VARIOUS OF LAWYERS ON THE DEFENCE TEAM OF MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY OUTSIDE COURT/POLICE 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROBERT AMSTERDAM, FROM KHODORKOVSKY'S TEAM OF AMERICAN LAWYERS SAYING: "Yesterday the office of the prosecutor issued a statement saying that there was pressure being put on the court by the press being here and by the lawyers making statements (to journalists). I want just to be clear that we agree that there has been pressure put on the court; however we think that the prosecution's applying of charges, of pseudo charges, which have been actually brought forward a few days before the court session, as well as the staged armed camp outside the court, actually represents pressure." 4. MEDIA AND LAWYERS NEAR ENTRANCE TO COURT 5. POLICE OUTSIDE COURT 6. WIDE OF PROTEST BY PEOPLE, MOSTLY RUSSIAN PENSIONERS, AGAINST RUSSIAN TYCOON MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY AND IN SUPPORT OF THE COURT PROCESS 7. BANNER READS: "Khodorkovsky: your money smells of blood" 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SERGEI, 55, A MOSCOW RESIDENT AT RALLY SAYING: "We are protesting in order to support the court; we support the court to make a lawful decision. The court is now in a very difficult position, as they are summing up the case not on an ordinary person, but on one of the wealthiest businessmen in Russia." 9. WIDE OF RALLY 10. CLOSE-UP OF WOMAN UNDER A BANNER WHICH READS: "Khodorkovsky go to jail" 11. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) AVTANDIL, A MOSCOW RESIDENT SAYING: "We all should protect our motherland and any rich person, whoever they are, must do something good (for their country)." 12. WIDE OF RALLY 2.07 (W3) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 20, 2005) (REUTERS) 13. WIDE OF COURT EXTERIOR/ POLICE; GATE WHICH GIVES VEHICLE ACCESS TO COURT OPENING/ CONVOY OF CARS TAKING RUSSIAN TYCOON MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY AND CO-ACCUSED PLATON LEBEDEV BACK TO PRISON LEAVING; SLV PEOPLE PROTESTING AGAINST KHODORKOVSKY LEAVIGN FROM FRONT OF COURT 2.48 14. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KHODORKOVSKY'S MAIN RUSSIAN LAWYER, GENRIKH PADVA, WHEN ASKED HOW LONG THE COURT SUMMING UP MAY TAKE, REPLIES: "I think it will be long; but what can I say, I cannot see what has been written in the judges verdict, but I think it will be long." 15. PADVA LEAVING; WIDE OF STREET 3.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th June 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA6APZO6LE47C80LTZSG4Q7YCXH
- Story Text: Judges adjourn Khodorkovsky verdict hearing to May
23.
Judges on Friday (May 20, 2005) adjourned the court case
against Russian oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky until next
Monday (May 23), ending a fifth session summing up evidence.
The three judges, sitting without a jury in a Moscow court, have
said Khodorkovsky committed crimes relating to
all seven charges, leaving no doubt the eventual verdict
will be guilty.
Khodorkovsky's lawyers say the judges are stringing out
their judgement to kill off media interest and spare the
Kremlin's embarrassment over a trial widely seen as an
attempt by President Vladimir Putin's circle to crush a
political rival.
"I think it will be long; but what can I say, I cannot
see what has been written in the judges verdict, but I
think it will be long," said Genrikh Padva, Khodorkovsky's
main Russian lawyer, when asked by reporters on Friday, how
long he thought the summing up would go on for.
Robert Amsterdam, one of the lawyers on Khodorkovsky's
U.S. defence team, rejected prosecution claims that the
media presence outside the court and defence lawyers
comments reported by journalists was placing the court
judges under pressure.
"Yesterday the office of the prosecutor issued a
statement saying that there was pressure being put on the
court by the press being here and by the lawyers making
statements (to journalists). I want just to be clear that
we agree that there has bee pressure put on the court;
however we think that the prosecution's applying of
charges, of pseudo charges, which have been actually
brought forward a few days before the court session, as
well as the staged armed camp outside the court, actually
represents pressure," he said.
For the fourth successive day, a crowd of people,
mostly Russian pensioners, staged a rally outside the court
accusing Khodorkovsky of theft and demanding justice be
done.
Sergei a 55-year-old Moscow Resident said: "We are
protesting in order to support the court; we support the
court to make a lawful decision. The court is now in a very
difficult position, as they are summing up the case not on
an ordinary person, but on one of the wealthiest
businessmen in Russia."
Avtandil said: "We all should protect our motherland
and any rich person, whoever they are, must do something
good (for their country)."
Khodorkovsky, 41, once Russia's richest man and founder
of the now stricken YUKOS oil firm, denies charges of fraud
and tax evasion and has branded the trial a farce.
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