Global Impact
The politically-motivated arrest and persecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev and other Yukos executives, coupled with the destruction of Yukos, have blighted the Russian government's international reputation.
The treatment of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev has become a litmus test of Russia's commitment to human rights and the rule of law and its willingness to become a progressive and constructive global partner.
Human Rights & the Rule of Law
The Yukos Affair and the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev trials, together with other high-profile cases, are telling indicators of the deterioration of Russia's human rights record.
Energy & Economics
The impact of the Yukos Affair on Russia's economy and Russia's attempts to reassert control over the country's energy resources in order to use them as a geopolitical lever.
US & EU Russia Relations
The effect of the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev case on Russia's relations with the US and EU.