VyacheslavOkoemov
Course Human Rights in Globalizing World
Human Rights Essay about Mikhail Khodorkovsky and PlatonLebedev Case.
Case of the Mikhail Khodorkovsky is a one of most important cases in the new century. Right of the property is a one of the most important human rights, and this right was violated.
The international importation of this case including in dangerous to the business and to the businessmen in all autocracy countries. Right to have property in a one of the fundamental human rights, and all of the businessmen know about Mikhail Khodokovsky, and their civil position in this case obvious.
In this case was denied rights to an independent and impartial tribunal, to equality before the law, to effective legal assistance, to disclosure of the prosecution's case, to exclude out-of-court statements, denial of the right to be heard and of the right to a reasonable amount of time to prepare and present.
The center of the campaign to free Mikhail Khodokovsky is a website This site has all information about this process, about Khodokovky and Lebedev, and about international support, that they have.
Many human right organization since 2004 year pay attention to this case. This is a “Freedom of the World”, “Freedom House”, OECD, Amnesty International.
In 2008 year Freedom House was published a Country Report of Russia, where note: "Khodorkovsky had transformed his company into one of the most transparent in Russia". It`s explicitly pressure to the Russian government for the freedom for Mikhail Khodokovsky and PlatonLebedev.
Aims of the thiscampaing is freedom of they, problem is international pressure to the Russian government.
In April 2009, the leaders of eight Western human rights groups signed an open letter to President Dmitry Medvedev expressing their concern for the deterioration of respect for rule of law and human rights in Russia in connection with the Khodokovsky-Lebedev trial. Signatories of the letter include Amnesty International, Freedom House, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, the International League for Human Rights, Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, and the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice.
Many journalists, redactors, pay attention to this problem around the world. In google name “Mikhail Khodokovsky” has 639000 links. World leaders like Barack Obama in summer 2009 call Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to free this people.
Reaction to verdict in December 2010 in really global. Hillary Clinton, US Secretary said - "Today's conviction in the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and PlatonLebedev on charges of embezzlement and money laundering raises serious questions about selective prosecution -- and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations. This and similar cases have a negative impact on Russia's reputation for fulfilling its international human rights obligations and improving its investment climate. We welcome President Medvedev's modernization plans, but their fulfillment requires the development of a climate where due process and judicial independence are respected. We will monitor the appeals process.".
US Senator Roger Wicker from the Senate Foreign Relation Committee said - "The disturbing verdict in the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and PlatonLebedev reveals the Russian judiciary is not independent ... Russian authorities again have demonstrated that they can act above the law at will. The second trial, just as the first, has been unfair and politically motivated. This is not only a sad day for Mikhail Khodorkovsky, PlatonLebedev, and their families, but also for all those that seek a more open Russia based on the rule of law."
Reaction to the guilty verdict of the European Commission is too vary hard. Catherine Ashton said - "The European Union and indeed the wider European public have since the start of the trial been following proceedings against former owner of the oil company YUKOS, Mikhail Khodorkovskii, and his business associate, PlatonLebedev, who were senteced today to six additional years of imprisonment. Allegations have been made of irregularities in the proceedings, and these are a matter of serious concern and disappointment to us.Judicial independence and the right of each and every citizen to a fair trial, as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Russia is a party, are of crucial importance to the strategic partnership between the European Union and the Russian Federation and rule of law is a cornerstone of the Partnership for Modernisation. The European Union will continue to follow the Khodorkovskii and Lebedev case closely and will raise this issue with Russia. As emphasised at the EU-Russia Summit on 7 December in Brussels, the EU expects Russia to respect its international commitments in the field of human rights and the rule of law."
This is, undoubtedly a result of the massive press campaign around the world on the international channels, influential newspapers, and in the internet. For example article in BBC Europe on link about Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Aim of this campaign is solution of the Dmitry Medvedev to change guilty verdict and to release this political jailed. This campaign have result right now – Dmitry Medvedev in 1 February 2011 year on Council for Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under president of Russia proposed to make law expert opinion about Hamovniky Court verdict. This is a real hope to change abjudgment of the court.
Chine have a similar Human Rights problem. Most richest man was jailed for the fear of all Chinese businessmen. This tactic was born in Russia, and China, too autocracy country, did this.
Reason of the Mikhail Khodorkovsky arrest is business in politics. Businessmen have money, and they can give it to political parties, movements, to finance all. They have press, and they can direct public opinion to the democratic values, real reforms in their countries. But autocratic governments don`t want change the regime, and now in the Middle East we have real massive protests and revolutions by internet.
This events and last in post-soviets space real scare the Kremlin and all Russian political establishment. Although all TV is under control, businessmen can`t make influence to situation, and all journalists fearing was killed like Anna Politkovskaya and Mikhail Beketov, in civil society are real civil movements like “TIGR”, “Navy Blue Buckets”, Art-Group “War”.
Now is a most important moment to this campaign. Sitizenship of many people maybe play a role to release Mikhail Khodokovsky. This is a express-secretary of Hamovniky Court NatalyVasileva, who told to media in interview that judge Danilkin wrote a sentence under pressure from Moscow City Court. This is Anastasia Volochkova, who told, that many celebrities, who signed a letter against Khodokovsky in 2005, did not know, what letter they signed. This AlexsandrBuinov abandoned his signature and other.
45 russian celebrity in 14 of march showed their sitizenship, and send “Letter of 45” to Amnesty International for recognize as prinsoners of conscience.
Now we can really chance to release Mikhail Khodorkovsky and PlatonLebedev. We must strengthen pressure to Dmitry Medvedev, then to reconsider the court`s decision.