Global Leaders

Takes note with concern of the ruling handed down by the Russian appeal court against Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business associate Platon Lebedev on 26 May 2011 as a continuation of politically motivated court decisions; condemns political interference with the trial; welcomes President Medvedev's decision to examine this case in the Presidential Human Rights Council; welcomes the European Court of Human Rights' ruling in this case accepting Khodorkovsky's claims of unlawful detentionLeaders in the United States, Europe and elsewhere have taken a significant interest in the Khodorkovsky and Lebedev case. Beginning with former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's personal intervention with Vladimir Putin on Khodorkovsky's behalf in 2004, world leaders have cited the case as a sign of the erosion of democracy and rule of law in Russia.

See a list of global leaders who recognize Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev as political prisoners

The United States

US Administration

In January 2011, Ambassador Ian Kelly, United States Mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, made the following statement to the OSCE in Vienna: "In a December 27 statement, Secretary Clinton said that the guilty verdicts in the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev on charges of embezzlement and money laundering raise serious questions about selective prosecution and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations. No government can nurture a modern economy without also developing an independent judiciary that serves as an instrument for furthering economic growth, ensuring equal treatment under the law, and advancing justice in a predictable and fair way. Russia, the United States and all other participating States of the OSCE have "categorically and irrevocably" reaffirmed, as recently as at last month's Astana Summit, that "the commitments undertaken in the field of the human dimension are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all participating States and do not belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the State concerned." In this spirit, the United States will continue to be frank in voicing concerns about the human rights situation in all OSCE participating States. And of course, we continue to welcome any comments other participating States may have about human rights and fundamental freedoms in the United States."

Michael McFaul, Special Assistant for US National Security Affairs and senior director of Russian and Eurasian Affairs, voiced criticism about Russia's record on democracy, while at a state-sponsored two-day modernization conference dubbed the "Russian Davos" in September 2010. McFaul said: "My impression from talking to attorney [Vadim] Klyuvgant here in Moscow, and to Khodorkovsky's lawyers in Washington, is that when they say that the very emergence of the second case looks most odd, some their arguments strike me as very convincing." He added: "The Obama administration continues to follow the YUKOS case very attentively."

During a visit to Moscow in July 2009, President Obama said: "It does seem odd to me that these new charges, which appear to be a repackaging of the old charges, should be surfacing now, years after these two individuals have been in prison and as they become eligible for parole."

Although he said it would be improper to interfere in Russia's legal processes, Obama affirmed his support for President Dmitry Medvedev's "courageous initiative" to strengthen rule of law in Russia. He added that this included "making sure that all those accused of crimes have the right to a fair trial and that the courts are not used for political purposes."

Obama's visit was followed by a trip to Moscow by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in October 2009. Like Obama, Clinton was pressed to comment on the abuses of human rights in Russia, including the continued imprisonment of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. In an interview around her visit, Clinton discussed Russia's systematic abuses and called on Russia's government to do more: "I think all of these issues - imprisonments, detentions, beatings, killings - is something that is hurtful to see from the outside...We want the government to stand up and say this is wrong."

Previously in Clinton's January 2009, US Senate confirmation hearing for becoming Secretary of State, she was asked by Senator John Kerry about her opinion of Khodorkovsky's trial. She replied:

"As the recent report on human rights prepared by the Department indicated, some human rights groups consider the official treatment of politically-active businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky to constitute a politically-motivated case of selective arrest and prosecution. There are many troubling aspects to the case. The original trial, the continued prosecutions, and the dismantlement of Yukos raise serious questions about the rule of law and due process in Russia. Some aspects of the way the case has been conducted do indeed appear to be politically motivated. This case reveals broader issues at stake for Russia, namely: respect for rule of law, sanctity of contracts, property rights, independence of the courts, and Russia's commitment to political development. The Obama Administration will continue to raise concerns about the lack of due process in this and other cases that may be politically motivated."

The US State Department's 2009 annual report on human rights gave a grim assessment of the human rights record in a number of states around the globe, including Russia. In the political prisoners and detainees section, the report highlights the ongoing Khodorkovsky-Lebedev trial noting that "the defendants, as well as a number of observers, questioned the validity of the new charges." Their case is referenced along with many other notable rights abuses in Russia including the treatment of former YUKOS lawyer Vasily Aleksanyan.

In 2009, the US State Department report cited Russian rights abuses in the North Caucasus where security forces were responsible for killing or maltreating political opponents. It also criticized Moscow's pressure on the news media and the hitherto unexplained deaths of several journalists.

Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that the cases against Khodorkovsky and YUKOS "have raised significant concerns in the investor community and in political circles about the role of rule of law and an independent judiciary in Russia."

On February 5, 2007, when the new allegations against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev emerged, the US State Department issued the following comment:

"As we have commented in connection with the original trial, the continued prosecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the dismantlement of YUKOS raise serious questions about the rule of law in Russia. Khodorkovsky and his associate, Platon Lebedev, would have been eligible to apply for parole this year, having served half of their terms. These new charges would likely preclude their early release. Many of the actions in the case against Khodorkovsky and YUKOS have raised serious concerns about the independence of courts, sanctity of contracts and property rights, and the lack of a predictable tax regime. The conduct of Russian authorities in the Khodorkovsky Yukos affair has eroded Russia's reputation and confidence in Russian legal and judicial institutions. Such actions as this and other cases raise questions about Russia's commitment to the responsibilities which all democratic, free market economies countries embrace."

US Congress

Key Congressional figures from both sides of the aisle spoke out against to the guilty verdict in the second trial in December 2010 including US Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Senator Roger Wicker (R-MISS), US Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Helsinki Commission and Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission.

Speaking at the Torch of Freedom Award ceremony in December 2010, Congressman Hastings raised concerns about the violation of human rights in Russia. He said, "The death of Sergey Magnitsky, the violent attack on journalist Oleg Kashin, and the mockery of the second trial against Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev are the cases in which Russsia violates its international obligations in human rights."

On September 29, 2010 in a briefing entitled "Legal Hooliganism - Is the YUKOS show trial finally over?" leading members of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission) said that Russia should reverse course and use the trial of Moscow billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky to signal real interest in restoring the rule of law. Congressman Hastings said. "A just conclusion to this case would remove a persistent irritant to Russia's relations with democratic countries. I remain optimistic and hope the Russian authorities choose justice over political vendettas."

On June 21, 2010, Senators Wicker and Cardin engaged in a colloquy dedicated to Mikhail Khodorkovsky's trial, on the floor of the US Senate. The Senators said that the trial was one of concern to human rights advocates around the world. They expressed admiration for Khodorkovsky and urged President Barak Obama to raise Khodorkovsky's release with Dmitry Medvedev during the Russian President's trip to the US that week.

In June 2009, key members of the US House and Senate introduced two resolutions condemning the politically motivated trial of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev.

US Reps. James McGovern (D-Mass.), chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives stating that the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev trial constitutes a politically-motivated case of selective arrest and prosecution that serves as a test of the rule of law and independence of Russia's judicial system.

This resolution came just days after the bipartisan filing of a similar resolution by US Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), urging the US Senate to recognize that Khodorkovsky and Lebedev have been denied basic due process rights under international law for political reasons.

In October 2005, just after the trial and sentencing of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev in their first trial, Congressmen Roger Wicker and Tom Lantos introduced H. Res. 525, which, in noting the actions that the Russian government had taken against Yukos, Khodorkovsky, and Lebedev, called upon Russian authorities "to prove that the cases were not politically motivated, that the Russian judicial system is truly independent and not simply an instrument of the Kremlin, and that the state was not engaged in a campaign to selectively reclaim or re-nationalize private enterprises."

Meanwhile, in November 2005, as Khodorkovsky and Lebedev were banished to Siberian labor camps to begin serving their punishments, then-Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden and Senator John McCain brought forth Senate Resolution 322, stating that "the trial, sentencing, and imprisonment of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev have raised troubling questions about the impartiality and integrity of the judicial system in Russia." They called on Russia to "dispel widespread concerns that the criminal cases against Khodorkovsky, Lebedev, and their associates are politically motivated."

Europe

European Commission

Reacting to the guilty verdict of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev in December 2010, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton made the following statement:

"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, Platon Lebedev, 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."

In November 2006, at the Russia-EU summit held in Helsinki, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso raised the cases of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Anna Politkovskaya with then-President Putin.

European Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a resolution in response to the EU-Russia summit on June 7, 2011, which can be read here. In particular, the resolution:

"Takes note with concern of the ruling handed down by the Russian appeal court against Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business associate Platon Lebedev on 26 May 2011 as a continuation of politically motivated court decisions; condemns political interference with the trial; welcomes President Medvedev's decision to examine this case in the Presidential Human Rights Council; welcomes the European Court of Human Rights' ruling in this case accepting Khodorkovsky's claims of unlawful detention."

Mikhail Khodorkovsky was mentioned in a speech by Laima Andrikienė MEP, who urged President Dmitry Medvedev to visit the European Parliament with Khodorkovsky as a prisoner of conscience. Coverage of her speech can be read here. 

A number of other MEPs - including Werner Shultz (Greens/EFA, DE), Adam Bielan (ECR, PL) and Bernd Posselt (EPP, DE) - raised the case in the presence of the Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy. 

On February 16, 2011 A Joint Motion for a Resolution on the rule of law in Russia was adopted by Members of the European Parliament at the plenary session highlights the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky:

"the second conviction of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev on 30 December 2010 in the second trail concerning YUKOS assets has been questioned by the international community, including the EU"

"The European Parliament,expresses serious concern at the verdict in the recent second trial and conviction of Michail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev; emphasises that serious judicial questions have been raised concerning this and previous trials against the two, and calls for an independent judicial review to be conducted in connection with the pending appeal against the verdict; demands that the Russian authorities do all in their power to improve the judicial system, in line with President Medvedev's pledges to ensure greater justice and transparency"

"The European Parliament, calls on the Commission to urgently submit to Parliament an assessment of whether the judicial measures taken against Yukos and its executives are compatible with the requirements placed on Russia in connection with its ambition to become a full member of the WTO";

The resolution also instructs the President of the European Parliament to forward the resolution to the European Council, the European Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the government and parliament of the Russian Federation, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Addressing the verdict of Mikhail Khodorkovsky Jerzy Buzek, The President of the European Parliament made the following statement:

"The case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky has become an emblematic symbol of the systemic problems of the rule of law, legal nihilism and human rights in today's Russia. I cannot but reiterate my solidarity with Mr Khodorkovsky and his family. I call strongly for the separation of powers between the judiciary, executive and legislature to be fully respected in Russia. Only then, will the modernization agenda which President Medvedev promotes so strongly have a chance of becoming reality."

President Jerzy Buzek also made a statement of the sentencing in the trial on December 30, 2010:

 "I am very disappointed. The trials of Mikhail Khodorkovsky were the litmus test of how the rule of law and human rights are treated in today's Russia. In effect it has become the emblematic symbol of all the systemic problems within the judiciary. I believe that President Medvedvev is genuine about the modernisation agenda of his country. In order for it to become reality opportunities like today's cannot be missed. There is still a very long path for Russia to take. I would like to express my deep solidarity with the entire family of Mr Khodorkovsky. I met with his mother Marina Khodorkovskaya on 15 December in Strasburg. She is a brave woman whose courage and faith I strongly admire. "

Marking Human Rights Day (December 10 2010), a cross-party coalition of Members of the European Parliament sent a letter to President Dimitry Medvedev, highlighting the ongoing persecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. Leading the group, Graham Watson (Liberal Democrat MEP, UK) said:

"There is a clear consensus among objective observers of the Khodorkovsky and Lebedev trials that their ongoing persecution is unjust and not truly motivated by law. In our letter to Mr Medvedev we express our hopes that the expected conclusion of the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev case will strictly adhere to the principles of the rule of law. Russia's place in the world greatly depends on its robust respect for the rule of law and citizens' fundamental human rights. Stable and reliable partnerships with Russia can only exist and be developed when human rights and property rights are secured and justice prevails over corruption. Ending the persecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev and properly investigating the cases of many other victims seeking justice in Russia would send positive signals of change and show that Russia is on the path towards modernisation."

In 2008, Hans-Gert Pöttering, former President of the European Parliament, expressed his concern over the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky:

"I would also like to take this opportunity to strongly appeal to the authorities of the Russian Federation, particularly in this time when the negotiations on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement have been resumed with the European Union, to take seriously their commitment to respect the law in their country. The fate of political prisoners is indeed of highest importance for the European Union".

In April 2009, the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee adopted its 2008 Annual Report on Human Rights in the World. The Committee strongly criticized the Russian government and expressed concern about the mistreatment of Khodorkovsky, Lebedev and Vasily Alexanyan; and the lack of an independent judiciary in Russia.

In the report, the Committee said it: "regrets that the European Union has not succeeded in bringing about any change of policy in Russia, particularly with regard to impunity and the independence of the judiciary, the treatment of human rights defenders and political prisoners including Mikhail Khodorkovsky" and "expresses further concern, in line with the Amnesty International Report of 2008, as to the ongoing failure of the Office of the Prosecutor to respect the right of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his associate Platon Lebedev to a fair trial in accordance with international standards, and deeply regrets the treatment of former Yukos vice-president Vasily Aleksanyan, whose refusal to provide false testimony against Mikhail Khodorkovsky led the Russian authorities to allow his medical condition to deteriorate to a terminal state"

On November 12, 2009, the European Parliament adopted a resolution ahead of the EU-Russia Summit held in Stockholm on November 18, expressing concern over developments in Russia that undermine efforts towards closer EU-Russia relations. The resolution urged the EU Council and Commission to pay "utmost attention to the ongoing second trial of former YUKOS Oil chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky, which is already replete with severe due process violations," and called upon Russian authorities "to combat arbitrariness, to respect the rule of law and not to use the judiciary as a political tool."

In a letter handed to President Medvedev during the Stockholm summit, more than 100 Members of the European Parliament expressed their concerns about the shortcomings of the rule of law and abuses of human rights in Russia.

On August 31, 2010, a delegation from the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights led by committee chair Heidi Hautala visited the trial. The members of the delegation, Hautala, Laima Andrekiene, Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee and Thijs Berman, member of the Subcommittee, expressed great alarm over the reported irregularities of the trial and the arbitrary nature of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev's treatment.

Members of the European Parliament have also highlighted the persecution of Khodorkovsky, Lebedev and other YUKOS executives in letters and statements to other leading European political figures:

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The most comprehensive international assessment of the original Khodorkovsky-Lebedev proceedings, undertaken between the time of their arrest in 2003 and their 8-year conviction in 2005, is the November 2004 report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), on "The circumstances surrounding the arrest and prosecution of leading YUKOS executives". The report concluded that "the circumstances of the arrest and prosecution of leading YUKOS executives suggest that the interest of the State's action in these cases goes beyond the mere pursuit of criminal justice, to include such elements as to weaken an outspoken political opponent, to intimidate other wealthy individuals and to regain control of strategic economic assets."

In 2005 the Parliamentary Assembly determined that Khodorkovsky and Lebedev were "arbitrarily singled out" by the Russian authorities, "violating the principle of equality before the law." Since then, courts in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, and Cyprus, among others, have rebuked Russian authorities involved in YUKOS-related proceedings in their national legal systems.

In June 2009, a report of the Parliamentary Assembly examined "politically-motivated abuses of the criminal justice system in Council of Europe member states", with a heavy emphasis on Russia and the Khodorkovsky case in particular. Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, current German minister of justice who previously, as rapporteur, led the research and writing for this report, highlighted the YUKOS affair as "emblematic" of the risks faced by investors who come up against state authorities. The report describes the new charges against Khodorkovsky as "bizarre" and "contradictory," and asserts that Russian authorities are waging an "unrelenting campaign" against YUKOS and its executives. The report also describes many of the inconsistencies in the prosecutors' arguments as "perplexing".

On September 30, 2009, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed Resolution 1685 (2009), based on the June 2009 report regarding politically-motivated abuses of the criminal justice system in Council of Europe member states. The resolution cites "a number of high-profile cases, such as the second trial of M. Khodorkovsky and P. Lebedev...[that] give rise to concerns that the fight against ‘legal nihilism' launched by President [Medvedev] is still far from won." The resolution was passed with 74 votes in favor, none opposed and four abstentions.

United Kingdom

In the UK, many prominent politicians have brought attention to the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev proceedings. On 31st March 2011, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office placed its concern over Russia's conduct in the trial of Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev at the centre of its criticisms of the state of human rights in Russia. With the publication of its annual human rights report, the FCO concluded that "Human rights will remain central to the UK's bilateral relations with Russia in 2011" and said that "despite some minor reforms and encouraging public statements about human rights in 2010, there was no evidence of systemic, far-reaching change."

Central to these concerns in 2010 was "the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev" which it said "was widely condemned for failing to adhere to basic standards of justice."

On matters of judicial reform, the report conceded that while it endorsed "President Medvedev's modernisation agenda, particularly the focus on strengthening the rule of law... events in 2010 demonstrated the scale of reform necessary." Specifically, the report suggested that "The conduct of the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, which concluded on 30 December, raised serious questions about the application of justice in Russia. "

The reporte also stated that the FCO would continue to monitor the state of Russia's justice system in 2011, "including appeals by Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev" against the outcome of their trial.

A number of leading politicians reacted strongly to the guilty verdict in the second trial in December 2010:

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague stated: "I am deeply concerned by the implications of this case concerning Mikhail Khodorkovsky for confidence in how the law is applied in Russia. The UK calls on Russia to respect the principles of justice and apply the rule of law in a non-discriminatory and proportional way. In the absence of this the UK and much of the international community will regard such a trial as a retrograde step."

Chris Bryant, UK Shadow Minister for Justice and Chair of the All Party Russia Group, commented on the sentencing: "This has been a politically motivated trial from the outset and the sentence is every bit as predictable as the verdict. It is deeply depressing that Russia is stepping backwards in terms of the freedom of the media and the independence of the judiciary. William Hague should condemn the whole trial as unambiguously as the US and Germany have done. It is very disappointing that the Judge delivered the verdict exactly as the prosecutors requested and that Khodorkovsky was given the maximum sentence allowed for these ludicrous, trumped up charges. Medvedev and Putin have failed the key test which would have demonstrated the independence of Russia's criminal justice system. By keeping Khodorkovsky in jail until 2017, they have further confirmed the political agenda behind this case in ensuring that he is behind bars beyond the 2012 presidential elections." 

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former UK Foreign Secretary told  the BBC: "It is manifestly a politically inspired trial and Khodorkovsky is in effect a political prisoner... [the trial] also has serious implications for the way in which the business community throughout the world see Russia...companies contemplating investing in Russia will think hard and long about whether it's safe to do so...it's too much of a coincidence that just as he was ending the sentence imposed on him several years ago that suddenly the Russian authorities come up with new charges and that are now being used as an excuse to keep him in jail ...and one saw the politicisation of it only a week ago when Mr Putin in an interview, actually before the verdict was even announced, referred to Mr Khodorkovsky's guilt and the fact that he ought to remain in prison. That is pure blatant political interference of a kind that is quite disgraceful."

Conservative MP, Richard Ottaway stated: "I am dismayed by reports that Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been found guilty of further charges of embezzlement. By all accounts, the rule of law in the conduct of this trial has been abandoned. This has serious implications for the confidence of overseas investors."

In July 2010, Europe Minister David Lidington MP responding to a parliamentary question from former Europe Minister Chris Bryant MP, stressed his government's position that the trial should be "fair and impartial". He noted that "the UK embassy in Moscow is watching developments in Mr Khodorkovsky's case closely, and is participating in trial monitoring with EU partners and the US." Lidington added that the UK raised concerns about human rights and the rule of law in Russia with their Russian counterparts.

Following Mikhail Khodorkovsky's final words in October 2010, Bryant again commented: "Mikhail Khodorkovsky spoke today with great dignity about his personal plight and also about the state of modern Russia where sadly the abuse of power and disdain for human rights is still too prevalent. As Khodorkovsky rightly said, millions of eyes throughout all of Russia and throughout the whole world are watching for the outcome of this trial and are watching in the hope that the principles of respect for freedom and the law are reflected."

In a May 2009 Parliamentary Question, Liberal Democrat MP Edward Davey prompted the UK Government to issue a statement on the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev trial, noting their "concerns include the arbitrary application of the rule of law, due process and fair treatment of Khodorkovsky and others who have been arrested or prosecuted in the Yukos Affair, access to lawyers and medical care, conditions of detention and the alleged harassment of defense teams and witnesses".

Additionally, Early Day Motions (EDM) highlighting Khodorkovsky and the YUKOS Affair have been submitted by former Europe Minister Chris Bryant MP and Liberal Democrat Malcolm Bruce MP.

In October 2009, the UK Government indicated that Khodorkovsky's case would be raised when then British Foreign Secretary David Miliband visited Moscow in November. As part of a debate in the House of Commons on UK relations with Russia, Chris Bryant MP, then British Minister for Europe, assured Parliament that the Foreign Secretary would raise the issue in meetings with the Russian Government, saying "we have raised the issue of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and we will continue to raise the issue with Russia".

Then Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary Ed Davey MP stated that the trial was "quite symbolic of how Russia approaches law and order, democracy and human rights", saying: "If Russia changed its position on the case, it would send a signal to the EU and the west about reform. A reforming Russia is a Russia that we can do business with." Milliband's visit was the first by a British Foreign Secretary to Russia since 2004.

Italy

A number of leading Italian politicans made statements in reaction to the guilty verdict in the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev in December 2010, including Hon. Pier Ferdinando Casini, President of the UDC Party and former President of the Lower Chamber, Hon. Piero Fassino, MP, Responsible for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Party, former Minister of Justice and former Minister of International Trade and Senator Zanda, Vice President of the Democratic Party group in the Upper Chamber.

Pier Ferdinando Casini, President of Italy's UDC Party, promoted a resolution calling on President Medvedev to take all measures to assure the rule of law and respect for Khodorkovsky's rights. The resolution was approved unanimously by the Assembly. On September 23, 2009, the Italian Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the motion: out of 478 MPs attending the plenary session, 430 voted in favor.

During the debate, Alfredo Mantica, Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed support for the motion on behalf of the Government and called for unanimous adoption by all political groups.

Germany

Numerous figures within Germany, including Chancellor Angela Merkal and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Federal Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, Federal Human Rights Commissioner Markus Loening, Alliance 90/Greens spokeswoman on Eastern Policy Marieluise Beck and CDU Party Secretary General Gröhe, reacted to the December 2010 guilty verdict in the second trial, expressing their disappointment with the decision.

On March 8, 2008, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that Germany "would welcome" the release of Khodorkovsky from prison. Chancellor Merkel again expressed concerns about Khodorkovsky during President Medvedev's visit to Berlin on June 5, 2008.

On March 4, 2008, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung quoted Klaus Mangold, chair of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations of the German Industry Association, who appealed to President Medvedev to ease Khodorkovsky's conditions of incarceration, stating "this would be a visible and significant sign for the handling of human rights."

In July 2009, the German Bundestag voted in favor of a parliamentary motion noting the need for improving the rule of law in Russia - specifically referencing abuses in the treatment of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev.

The motion, submitted by the CDU/CSU, SPD, Liberal and Green parties, requested that the Federal German Government initiate and support observation of the trial against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev within the framework of the European Union and to "concretely address deficits in the rule of law in Russia, including the example of the trial against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev".

Commenting on the trial in July 2009, Markus Meckel MP, SPD Foreign Affairs Spokesman, said: "The second trial currently underway is all the more a test case to see whether the Russian justice system will make the grade. There are many signs to indicate that the new trial is also politically motivated. The charges seem absurd alone from the supposed amount of embezzled crude oil, which was enough that if it were filled into train cars and lined up, the line would circle the earth three times."

In October 2010, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, speaking at a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, spoke of the "very serious concern about the conditions of the trial proceedings", adding that "it is in Russia's interest that these concerns are taken seriously."

Meanwhile, many German politicians including Bundestag member Marieluise Beck and Federal Justice Minister (and former Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Rapporteur) Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger have publically spoken out against the continued prosecution of Khodorkovsky, Lebedev and other YUKOS employees.

A delegation of 12 German MPs visited the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev trial on September 7, 2010 witnessing Platon Lebedev giving his testimony.

Dr. Rainer Stinner, Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs for the Liberal Party (FDP) in the German Bundestag, commented on the proceedings afterwards: "Germany is interested in how Russia implements the rule of law and in connection with this process there is a big suspicion, through many signs, that this process is being used as a political instrument. In our view, modernization is not only about the development of external trade and technology but modernization in the development of a rule of law for Russia's government, in particular."

Spain

On March 1, 2005, the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Spanish Congress of Deputies passed a motion supporting the release of Mikhail Khodorkovsky (file number 161/1408, published in the "BOCG. Congreso de los Diputados" Series D, Volume 325 of February 1, 2006), calling upon Russian authorities to respect Resolutions 1418 (2005) and 1692 (2005) of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe in relation to Khodorkovsky and other YUKOS executives, in reference to infringements of the rule of law; and to request the immediate transfer of Khodorkovsky to a detention center with conditions of incarceration to which he is legally entitled as is any prisoner, and which is in proximity to his immediate family.

France

In December 2010, a number of figures condemned the guilty verdict in Khodorkovsky and Lebedev's case and offered their support to the defendants. Influential French government and opinion leaders including Nolle Lenoir, former Minister of European Affairs, former member of the French Constitutional Court, the French Foreign Ministry,  and former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner condemned the verdict.

In an article published October 26, 2007 in Le Monde, under the headline "Sakharov and Khodorkovsky: The Same Battle", French philosopher André Glucksmann, citing Elena Bonner and Anna Politkovskaya, described Khodorkovsky's ongoing imprisonment as retribution for his expression of political values inconsistent with those of the regime.

Hervé Mariton, Deputy of the French National Assembly and Head of the France-Russia parliament group, observed the current trial in April 2009; in an interview with Journal du Dimanche, Mariton said there was a feeling of "quiet oppression" in the courtroom. He also concluded that Khodorkovsky has "no possibility to defend himself correctly" and that the way he is being treated is "arbitrary and inhuman". Mariton said: "this trial seems Kafkaian, Khodorkovsky never had a chance to defend himself in a fair trial; his rights as a human are not respected."

In April 2010, François Zimeray, France's Human Rights Ambassador, attended the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev trial during a two-day visit to Moscow. Zimeray has discussed Khodorkovsky's case several times with the French and international media. Zimeray said that he visited the trial at the request of French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and with the approval of President Nicolas Sarkozy. He said that his visit was "a message in itself."

Zimeray emphasized that the case, which he believes has become a major human rights trial, "is closely followed by the highest authorities in France." He said: "The fight of Khodorkovsky, courageous, with a great dignity, against a system that tries without success to destroy him, made him become a symbol, an icon of human rights in Russia."