Khodorkovsky to Return to Moscow

From ITAR-TASS:

Court says probe into Khodorkovsky case unlawful MOSCOW, April 16 (Itar-Tass) –The Moscow City Court on Monday confirmed that the investigative actions related to new charges brought against former YUKOS owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev in Chita were unlawful. In March 2007, Moscow’s Basmanny Court upheld the defendants’ complaint and ruled that the investigation was unlawful. The court thus obligated the Prosecutor General’s Office to bring Khodorkovsky and Lebedev back to Moscow for investigative actions at the place where the crime was committed. There are no proper conditions in Chita to ensure the completeness of the investigation as there is no evidence to substantiate in the case in Chita. “It is very hard both our defendants and the lawyers to be in Chita. What kind of witnesses could we invite to Chita? Who will go there? Now we have new possibilities for finding and presenting evidence in the Khodorkovsky case,” Shmidt said. Under the law, Khodorkovsky and Lebedev will be tried in Moscow. Khodorkovsky and Lebedev will be brought to Moscow for additional investigative actions, the lawyer said. “According to today’s court ruling, the Prosecutor General’s Office has to bring Khodorkovsky and Lebedev to Moscow for investigative actions within the framework of a new case,” Shmidt said. He expressed hope that the Prosecutor General’s Office will not contest the court ruling. But if it does, “this will not provide grounds for suspending the implementation of the ruling”. The lawyer did not rule out that Khodorkovsky and Lebedev may face new charges in Moscow.

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