February 19, 2009 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Feb 19th, 2009

190209.jpgTODAY: ECHR to accept $34 billion Yukos lawsuit against Russian government; US officials to meet with NATO and will informally discuss reopening Russia dialogue; Kyrgyz government to vote on US air base today; 9% of Russians trust their police force; global warming; Russian marine thought to have shot down Chinese cargo ship.

The European Court of Human Right has accepted a request by a group of former managers from Yukos to take Moscow to court for $34 billion – the largest claim ever made in the court – over its investigation of the former oil giant.  The managers’ statement said, ‘Yukos’ tens of thousands of stakeholders saw the company destroyed and the trust they put into it and Russia taken away with the single swipe of a revengeful political hand.’  The court decided to accept the case, in part, because it had a ‘moral dimension’.  You can find the text of the decision here.