RUSSIA: Khodorkovsky ends trial on an ominous note

The second criminal case against former Yukos tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky came to a close today, with a hearing on sentencing scheduled for December 15. Khodorkovsky used his final statement to warn the authorities that the trial’s outcome would cast a shadow over the modernisation agenda and efforts to control pervasive corruption within the bureaucracy. He claimed he was ‘ashamed’ of Russia and that he would spend the rest of his life in prison if it furthered the ‘struggle against tyranny’. However, a law signed by President Dmitry Medvedev earlier this year limits the maximum sentence for economic crimes to 15 years. Prosecutors are seeking a 14-year prison term for Khodorkovsky, with a realistic prospect of early release in six years. This summer, three prominent members of the elite provided testimony that appeared to support Khodorkovsky’s defence, raising questions about whether the Kremlin might support an acquittal. However, an acquittal or lenient sentence would yield few domestic political dividends for Medvedev. On the contrary, Khodorkovsky’s highly charged closing statement is likely to exacerbate Kremlin concerns that he might seek to re-enter the political fray upon his eventual release.