Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the jailed Russian former-oil tycoon, has called on Barack Obama to throw his support behind pushing for an independent court system in Russia on the eve of the US president's first visit to Moscow, writes FT.
Khodorkovsky will face hearings from behind a glass cage on a second set of charges as Obama visits the Russia this week. His conviction in 2005 on charges of fraud and tax evasion was condemned by critics as politically motivated.
Khodorkovsky is doing long term time in Siberia because he broke Rule #1 as stated by Robert Redford's character in the movie, Havana, "You have to know who is in charge, and how to stay out of trouble."
As for Obama helping, not a chance, unless there is some kind of what Russians call "consideration" passed along to Obama. More likely, this will simply give Obama ideas on how to deal with political enemies back here in the good old U.S. of Obama.
ViaNick
Also, let's not forget that throwing Khodorkovsky in jail allowed Putin to appropriate Yukos (into Gazprom) just prior to the parabolic rise in crude. Nothing like state sponsored corporatism.
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