Four Motions Brought by Defense Rejected in Khodorkovsky

As some of us feared, the judge presiding over the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky has rejected the first four motions brought by defense lawyers without explanation on the first day of the proceedings.  The most important of these motions requested the minimum access to the client for the lawyers (as afforded by their rights under Russian law), as both Khodorkovsky and Lebedev are sealed within a glass partition for the trial – which may seem like a step forward from the use of the cage, but has so far prevented our lawyers from sharing documents or the option of having any confidential consultations with the defendants – a normal procedural feature of attorney-client privilege.  The other two motions which were rejected called for the removal of prosecutors.