Reading today’s news of the continued cruelty against the imprisoned Yukos executive Vasily Alexanyan is like going back to the future – at least in this court, Stalinist times are back in full swing. Russian prosecutors and judges involved in these Yukos cases appear to be engaged in conducting trials and judicial procedures at the behest of the most radical members of the siloviki to expand the circle of those responsible for committing crimes against international law and fundamental human rights.