Statements of Support (2003-2013) / Buckland, Robert MP

“The significance of the Khodorkovsky case is that it goes to the hearts of the integrity of judicial processes in Russia.

There are two big questions that I think Russian government is currently failing to address – a country that does not have judicial and legal processes that can be trusted is not a country that people will want to invest in, and therefore not only is this a question of fundamental human rights but it is also a question of commercial and business confidence. Russia has a huge potential to be a major player in the world economy; I believe that it’s holding itself back with examples such as the Khodorkovsky case.

The Khodorkovsky case is the case not only of domestic significance but of international importance. It is not just a question of release of one man, it is a question of not only his future treatment, but the treatment of many individuals who are either died or who are currently in detention as a result of arbitrary decisions by the Russian government”

Robert Buckland MP, speaking in an interview as part of the Decade of Injustice video series to mark the 10th anniversary of Khodorkovsky’s arrest, September 20, 2013