RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Feb. 7, 2008
TODAY: Conflicting reports on Vasily Aleksanyan’s situation. Russia expresses doubts over Iran’s test launch. US Energy Department is funding Russia’s support of Iran. Possible problems with Russia’s WTO accession. It is being reported that Russia’s prison service has bowed to international pressure and agreed to transfer Vasily Aleksanyan to a specialist clinic after the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg issued three instructions to the Russian authorities. However, Yelena Lvova, one of Aleksanyan’s legal team, said she had not been informed of the decision to move her client to a clinic, and one UK newspaper is reporting that Aleksanyan has, in fact, been denied treatment, with another saying that he will not be transferred to a specialist clinic. Another Russian source says that Aleksanyan will receive treatment but will not be released from detention. The BBC has picked up on Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s interview with the Financial Times.