Putin Compares Khodorkovsky to Madoff, Capone
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has dismissed concerns over the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, comparing him to US fraudster Bernard Maddoff and gangster Al Capone.
Putin said: "Take Bernard Madoff in the United States. He got a life sentence and no-one blinked." He added: "The activities of those implicated in these criminal affairs cost Russia billions," referring to the YUKOS case, alleging that there had been "attempts on the life and health of individuals."
Khodorkovsky's supporters argue that the new charges are absurd and fabricated to keep him in jail indefinitely in revenge for daring to finance the opposition when Putin was president. However, the Kremlin insists he is guilty of massive financial crimes stemming from the controversial privatisation deals of the 1990s. Putin said: "Everything that's going on with us is in full respect of the law."
Defence lawyers say that a verdict in the trial is not expected until the spring of 2010.