July 1, 2008 By Robert Amsterdam

The Self Interest of Kremlin Siloviki

As you may have already read in the media, earlier today Russian prosecutors presented new charges against my client, the political prisoner Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The most notable coverage of this development comes from the French daily Le Monde, which comments that Khodorkovsky’s request for early release is a test for the president (I hope to post a translation soon). Until then, some of my thoughts… In several conversations I had with the legal team today, it struck me that we are witnessing a collapse of rationality in Russia’s legal system, highlighted not only by our case, but also with regard to the TNK-BP disputes or even the inability to deliver justice following a simple traffic accident (as recently reported by Mark Franchetti). We are watching Russia needlessly hurt herself and her future prospects.