(COMTEX) B: Court notice says verdict on Khodorkovsky postponed until May 16
( The Canadian Press )
MOSCOW, Apr 27, 2005 (The Canadian Press via COMTEX) -- Russia postponed the
verdict in jailed oil mogul Mikhail Khodorkovsky's criminal trial Wednesday, a
move possibly intended to avert an outcry as President Vladimir Putin heads into
two high-profile international events.
The unexplained delay in Russia's biggest post-Soviet era trial came hours
before Putin was to begin the first visit of a Kremlin leader to Israel, where
some fear the oil tycoon is being targeted in part because he is Jewish. Putin
will also soon host dozens of Western leaders for ceremonies marking the Allied
victory over the Nazis.
The historic trip to Israel is intended to enhance Putin's image as a world
leader despite accusations of regressing on commitments to democracy at home.
Khodorkovsky, the founder of Russia's biggest oil company, is accused of tax
evasion and fraud - charges many believe are aimed at keeping him locked up long
enough to prevent him from influencing the 2008 presidential elections. He is
widely expected to be convicted and serve time.
Many view the charges against the billionaire Khodorkovsky as part of a
Kremlin-backed effort to curb his political clout and avenge his funding of
opposition parties.
Though the verdict was expected Wednesday, hundreds of spectators and
journalists who converged on the Moscow courthouse where he and two associates
had been tried found only an unsigned notice taped on the glass door saying the
verdict had been postponed until May 16.
The Interfax news agency reported that a court official had said that the chief
judge in the case, Irina Kolesnikova, had not yet finished writing the sentence.
When asked why the postponement took place, Yevgeny Baru, a defence lawyer,
said: "It remains a secret."
The postponement could be due to a combination of factors that could cause
embarrassment to Putin. Besides his efforts to reassert a Russian role in the
Middle East, he is also hosting about 50 world leaders in Moscow on May 9 for
celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Allies' victory in Europe. Protests
against Russia's lack of commitment to democracy and an independent judiciary
would spoil the triumphant moment.
"If there was a guilty verdict. . . the holiday would be darkened," said
Vladimir Ryzhkov, a liberal lawmaker, reflecting a widespread view that the
postponement was made for political reasons.
But the delay may not bode well for Khodorkovsky, since the international
spotlight would have moved on by the next verdict date - giving the Kremlin a
freer hand to punish him.
"On the one hand, it's a signal there will be a harsh judgment," Ryzhkov said.
"On the other, there is an extra three weeks for consideration."
Few have been betting on an acquittal. The politically charged trial and the
dismantling of Yukos - once considered Russia's most transparent company -
dampened enthusiasm for investment in the country and helped push oil prices to
record highs over supply fears.
The case is viewed as part of a Kremlin drive to neutralize Khodorkovsky's
political ambitions and cement state control over the strategically important
oil sector.
"If (Putin) wants to give a statement to the West that in fact Russia is a place
where anyone can count on a business climate, free Khodorkovsky," said Robert
Amsterdam, Khodorkovsky's Toronto-based lawyer. "It is very clear the world is
watching."
While Putin has repeatedly described the case as a just investigation into a
corrupt empire, the probe could have been launched against any of hundreds of
businessmen in Russia's cutthroat post-Soviet marketplace - rather than one
financing opposition parties.
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Copyright (C) 2005 The Canadian Press (CP), All rights reserved
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