Members of the European Parliament expressed solidarity with Mikhail Khodorkovsky during a debate on Russia-EU trade relations on the ninth anniversary of his arrest. Several MEPs commented on the irony of marking the ninth anniversary with such a debate, noting that the Yukos case and the jailing of Khodorkovsky continued to cast a shadow over EU-Russia relations and that Russia remains a potentially unreliable partner in the WTO framework.

Laima Andrikiene MEP (Lithuania, EPP) commented on the symbolic timing of the debate:

“We welcome Russia’s accession to the WTO but let’s not forget that today is the ninth anniversary of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s arrest. The Yukos case, in which Kohodorkovsky’s oil company was essentially confiscated by the Russian government, continues to cast a shadow over Russia’s efforts to reassure its new partners in the WTO. The Yukos case is one of many examples of the political use of justice in Russia, and that is why Russia still needs to show it can be trusted as a commercial partner. Since Khodorkovsky’s arrest in 2003 there have been many other signs of Russia’s selective approach to the rule of law, especially in the commercial field. Russia is also prone to using its gas resources as a diplomatic weapon and the current EU price-fixing inquiry aimed at Gazprom suggests the Kremlin will still continue to put its own interests above its international obligations. So Russia is an important commercial partner for the EU but it remains potentially unreliable.”

Polish MEP Pawel Zalewski (EPP) highlighted the need for democratisation and modernisation in Russia, saying:

“We’ve been talking out EU-Russia commercial relations on the ninth anniversary of the imprisonment of Khodorkovsky. It’s symbolic of the efficiency of our policies towards Russia. We remember that at the foundation of it was our opening to Russia in the economy, stronger relations, allowing investments from Russia into the European Union, particularly in the energy sector which is so important, particularly for the Russian budget. In return for that we wanted to see democratisation and modernisation in Russia. Let’s sum up what we have achieved. Today Russia is a country that it more authoritarian that it was when Russia first started negotiations with the WTO on its membership. Today Russia is far more dependent on the export of its natural resources, mostly energy that it was a decade ago. Our policies have failed, they have become worthless.”

Inese Vaidere MEP (Latvia, EPP) also mentioned Khodorkovsky’s nine year imprisonment during the debate:

“Khodorkovsky has been in prison for nine years in a protracted court case which seems to have no end, so we have to do everything to see that the situation as far as human rights is concerned is improved.”