Putin Was “Surprised” By Second Khodorkovsky Trial
In an interview with Kommersant Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that he did not expect Mikhail Khodorkovsky to be tried for a second time in 2008.
Putin said: When I heard about the second trial, I was very surprised." He added: "I asked ‘What trial, isn't he already in jail?'"
Dow Jones notes that the new trial against Khodorkovsky is widely seen as orchestrated by the Kremlin. Khodorkovsky's supporters argue that he was imprisoned because the Kremlin saw him as a political challenger.
However, Putin denied being behind Khodorkovsky's imprisonment, and said he supported a second trial for the businessman. He said: "If such a case is being heard, it means the law requires it...He is being justly punished. When he gets out, he will be a free man."