Secure in Power, Putin Frees Rival, a Jailed Tycoon
By STEVEN LEE MYERS and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
President Vladimir V. Putin’s pardoning of Russia’s most famous
prisoner, Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, signaled the confidence of a leader
who commands singular political authority.
Russia | 14.02.2011
Moscow court aide says judge pressured over Khodorkovsky verdict
A former senior assistant to the Moscow judge who recently found Mikhail Khodorkovsky guilty of oil theft and money laundering says the verdict against the oil tycoon was pre-formulated and ordered from above.
Natalya Vasilyeva, who had worked as an aide to Judge Viktor Danilkin, said her former superior received instructions by telephone from higher Moscow court officials during Khodorkovsky's trial at Khamovniki district court.
Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, was eventually sentenced to 13.5 years by Danilkin in December of last year. His lawyers commented after the trial that the judge's conclusions were nearly identical to the demands of the prosecution.
Vasilyeva, who is also a spokeswoman for the Khamovniki district court, told liberal website gazeta.ru that the verdict was imposed upon the judge when it became clear that top Russian officials did not think his own ruling would be tough enough.
"Danilkin started to write the verdict. I suspect that what was in that verdict did not please the higher instance. And so he received a different verdict, which he had to read out," Vasilyeva said.
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Vasilyeva says Judge Danilkin was pressured from above
She said that "when something was happening not the way it was supposed to [Danilkin] had to give information to the Moscow City court and received certain instructions from there about how to behave."
"What judge Danilkin was doing was more of a forced action. By law a judge is not required to seek advice or listen to anyone's opinion," she said, adding that interfering in the legal process is not allowed for anyone.
Sharp rebuke
The Moscow court labeled Vasilyeva's comments as a "provocation," while Judge Danilkin rejected them as "slanderous."
Khodorkovsky is not due to be released from prison until 2017. He had already been serving an eight-year sentence for tax evasion prior to his second conviction.
The sentence was angrily condemned in the West. Khodorkovsky's supporters maintained he was punished for daring to continue to oppose Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Author: Darren Mara (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
Editor: Nicole Goebel
Natalya Vasilyeva, who had worked as an aide to Judge Viktor Danilkin, said her former superior received instructions by telephone from higher Moscow court officials during Khodorkovsky's trial at Khamovniki district court.
Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, was eventually sentenced to 13.5 years by Danilkin in December of last year. His lawyers commented after the trial that the judge's conclusions were nearly identical to the demands of the prosecution.
Vasilyeva, who is also a spokeswoman for the Khamovniki district court, told liberal website gazeta.ru that the verdict was imposed upon the judge when it became clear that top Russian officials did not think his own ruling would be tough enough.
"Danilkin started to write the verdict. I suspect that what was in that verdict did not please the higher instance. And so he received a different verdict, which he had to read out," Vasilyeva said.
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Vasilyeva says Judge Danilkin was pressured from aboveShe said that "when something was happening not the way it was supposed to [Danilkin] had to give information to the Moscow City court and received certain instructions from there about how to behave."
"What judge Danilkin was doing was more of a forced action. By law a judge is not required to seek advice or listen to anyone's opinion," she said, adding that interfering in the legal process is not allowed for anyone.
Sharp rebuke
The Moscow court labeled Vasilyeva's comments as a "provocation," while Judge Danilkin rejected them as "slanderous."
Khodorkovsky is not due to be released from prison until 2017. He had already been serving an eight-year sentence for tax evasion prior to his second conviction.
The sentence was angrily condemned in the West. Khodorkovsky's supporters maintained he was punished for daring to continue to oppose Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Author: Darren Mara (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
Editor: Nicole Goebel
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BBC有一 Our World 說明俄國今日平均壽命60歲
Putin 專制
貧富差距 治安問題
昨天的Khodorkovsky found guilty of embezzlement
整肅寡頭 俄前首富再添新罪
〔編譯魏國金／綜合二十七日莫斯科外電報導〕莫斯科法院二十七日判決已服刑逾七年、定於 明年出獄的前石油鉅富霍多科夫斯基（見圖，美聯社），在洗錢控訴中罪行成立。霍氏被捕前是俄國首富，富比世雜誌估計他的資產達一百五十億美元（約台幣四千 四百二十五億元），是後蘇聯最知名的「寡頭」財閥，一度被視為俄國未來的領袖人選。其首席律師克尤夫甘特抨擊判決是「國家之恥，我們將提出上訴」。
一度被視為未來領袖人選 03年被捕入獄至今
四十七歲的霍氏是俄國石油公司「尤克斯」的前執行長，二○○三年十月在參加一場會議途中，私人飛機降落西伯利亞加油時，突遭俄國安全局人員持槍逮捕，此後以詐欺與逃稅罪名被判處八年徒刑，支持者認為是當局羅織的罪名。此後一直在西伯利亞服刑。
律師斥「國家之恥」
在第二件控案中，霍多科夫斯基與另名被告列別德夫，被指在一九九八年至二○○三年侵吞尤克斯兩億一千八百萬噸的石油，並洗錢七十五億美元。對於有罪的判決，律師克尤夫甘特表示︰「這是沒有獨立權的法院作下的不公判決，這是國家之恥，我們將上訴」。
二十七日庭外十分混亂，只有少數記者獲准聆聽宣判，然而當宣判時，這些記者全被要求離席。數百名支持者則在場外高喊︰「沒有普廷的俄國」「不要警察國家」，約二十人被捕。
雖然尚未宣布刑期，不過律師表示，原定於明年出獄的他恐需再服刑至二○一七年。
分析家認為，該判決可看出總理普廷與總統梅德維傑夫治下，俄國未來走向的可能端倪；普廷計畫在二○一二年重返克宮的傳言不絕於耳。自由派原本希望霍氏能獲判無罪，以彰顯俄國的改革與司法獨立性，不過俄國知名人權律師阿列克謝耶娃說︰「結果我們都同感難過。」
普廷支持者認為，霍氏被捕是時任總統的普廷統治的分水嶺，凸顯克宮的權力勝於寡頭。在二十七日宣判的前幾天，霍多科夫斯基嚴辭抨擊在電視上表示「竊賊必須坐牢」的普廷說，他無法感受人類的情感，只能「對犬類展現愛意」。
世界輿情嘩然 Tycoon verdict 'bad for Russia' - Clinton
The US and Germany express serious concern about a second guilty verdict against jailed Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was once the richest man in Russia, has been found guilty of embezzlement. It is the second case against the former oil tycoon, who has been in jail since he was convicted of tax evasion in 2005.
Mr Khodorkovsky's supporters say the charges are politically motivated in order to keep a potential rival of Vladimir Putin behind bars.
Daniel Sandford reports from Moscow.
Mr Khodorkovsky's supporters say the charges are politically motivated in order to keep a potential rival of Vladimir Putin behind bars.
Daniel Sandford reports from Moscow.
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