Sunday July 5, 08:04 AM
Khodorkovsky must confess for pardon: Medvedev
 |
MOSCOW (AFP) - President Dmitry Medvedev rejected pardoning jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky unless the former chief of the Yukos oil giant admitted he was guilty of fraud and tax evasion.
The comments were the clearest indication yet of Medvedev's position on the Khodorkovsky case, which has been slammed by some Kremlin (Frankfurt: 513350 - news) critics who claim the former oil boss is being punished for daring to back the opposition.
"As for pardoning Khodorkovsky or any other person, this procedure must be done as specified in our country's laws," Medvedev told Italian media in an interview, a transcript of which was published by the Kremlin.
"In other words, the person in question must address the president, admit his guilt in committing the crime and ask for such a decision. So far there is nothing to discuss here," Medvedev added.
Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, is serving is serving an eight-year sentence for fraud and tax evasion.
He is also currently on trial in Moscow in a second case on charges of embezzling millions of tons of oil and then laundering the proceeds. Khodorkovsky has repeatedly said he is innocent in both cases.
Medvedev -- himself a former lawyer -- said there could be no argument with the original 2005 conviction of Khodorkovsky.
"Khodorkovsky and some other businessmen in our country were condemned on a court decision. This is not a political move, it is the decision of a court that has to be respected," the Russian leader said.
The new trial against Khodorkovsky, which started in March, has been particularly controversial with his supporters arguing that the charges are absurd and fabricated to keep him in jail indefinitely.
Khodorkovsky's supporters note that at the time of his arrest in October 2003 the tycoon was actively financing parties opposing the then president Vladimir Putin on the eve of parliamentary elections.
But Russia insists it is treating Khodorkovsky fairly and that he is guilty of massive financial crimes stemming from the controversial privatization deals of the 1990s that created a small class of super-rich "oligarchs."
Before taking over from Putin in 2008, Medvedev had pledged to end "legal nihilism" in Russia and some liberals had expected him to offer Khodorkovsky a pardon to underline his reformist credentials.
However after over a year in power, most commentators struggle to discern any major difference between Medvedev and Putin, who has since become a powerful prime minister.
|
|
|
Send Article by Email
Send Article by IM
Blog This with Y! 360
Printable View
