Presidential Human Rights Council Harassed Over Khodorkovsky
Presidential Human Rights Council Harassed over Khodorkovsky Case Review
Senior Russian jurist and member of the Presidential Human Rights Council Tamara Morshchakova revealed during a press conference yesterday that experts working with the watchdog group have been subject to interrogations, searches of homes and offices, and “crazy and far-fetched” accusations by law enforcement agencies. According to an article published by Lenta.ru, Morshchakova indicated that the campaign of harassment began following the Council’s critical report issued on Dec. 21, 2011 regarding the numerous flaws in the second trial and conviction of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev.
Morshchakova said that this kind of interference by the authorities “jeopardises the activity of the Human Rights Council regarding analysis and discussion of the situation and working out recommendations in general.”
Khodorkovsky Says Russian Government ‘Tightening the Screws’
“In some ways, Russia’s current political regime resembles the Brezhnev regime, in terms of pressure on the opposition,” Khodorkovsky tells Reuters. “Corruption, the slow pace and poor quality of economic growth, the restricted social mobility for young people, simple tiredness with the same old face in charge – all this is causing clear irritation,” and as a result, the government is “tightening the screws” in an attempt to “scare common citizens, deter them from taking part in the protests.”
Appeal Filed Before Supreme Court
According to Vadim Klyuvgant, the lead defence lawyer, “Since it’s already the second one, the Supreme Court has absolutely nowhere to redirect us with our unpleasant question. And despite everything, we’d like to hope that at least in the tenth year of this lynching we will finally see a real hearing.”
