Khodorkovsky Hopes the Second Trial is a Complete Opposite to the First

27 Mar 2009
A statement from Mikhail Khodorkovsky to the participants of the public hearings (The 2nd trial of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev: The return of the repressions or a chance for justice?), Andrei Sakharov Centre, Moscow

Dear Friends,

Your efforts help me feel remembered and much more than this, they also help all unlawfully convicted people in Russia.
Today one who does not plead guilty, unless his case is tried by a jury court, is guaranteed to make his situation significantly worse because:

- He will get a guilty verdict
- His jail term will be extended, AND
- There will be no hope for early release.

I believe that people ready for such a sacrifice for the sake of the truth, deserve public attention.

Today the situation has to be changed. The range of activities of the jury should be much wider and jury trials should be strictly restrained. A self-respected individual who falls a victim of the law enforcement system should not be doomed by default.

I very much hope my second trial will become a complete opposite of the first one. I hope it will carry a different symbolic message for the relations between an individual and the law enforcement system and our country's image.

I will do my best and will be grateful for your support.