Legal News

What Does Parole Denial Say About Russia?s Push to Clean Up Courts?

By Dan Slater

Shortly after the new Russian prez, Dmitry Medvedev, was inaugurated in May, we noted his goal of cleaning up Russia’s courts. Last month, when we discovered that lawyers for jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky had filed a request for parole, we thought that perhaps Khodorkovsky, whose prosecution was widely viewed as an attempt to silence a Kremlin opponent, would be the first beneficiary of Medvedev’s initiative. That could still happen, but not today.

Judge Igor Falileyev, holding court in the Siberian city of Chita, rejected Khodorkovsky’s request for an early release from an eight-year sentence for tax evasion and fraud, according to an AP report. The judge said he was ineligible for parole because he had refused to undertake professional training at his prison, which specializes in sewing, and because of an incident in which he flouted prison rules.

Khodorkovsky’s lawyer, Vadim Klyuvgant, said the decision was handed down “by a court that is not free and is heavily influenced by those who are simply scared of freeing Mikhail Khodorkovsky.” He called the decision politically motivated and said he would appeal. Khodorkovsky (pictured) is eligible to file another parole request in six months.

“The judicial system won’t be reformed any time soon,” said Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest person, as he was hustled out of the court by guards.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on August 22, 2008 (boomark / email).