Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stated again about «Yukos»’ complicity in personal crimes and that «these crimes were proved by the court». Besides, the Prime Minister compared Michail Khodorkovsky with US fraudster Bernard Maddoff and US gangster of the times of dry law Al Capone. These statements were pronounced in November, 27, 2009 during Vladimir Putin’s press conference in Paris.

According to the informational agency «Interfax», Vladimir Putin answered the French journalists’ questions about resonant criminal cases, including the «Yukos case». «Mr. Madoff in the United States got a life sentence and no one blinked. It serves him right», — Putin said.

He also reminded about a high-profile case in Great Britain where the issue is decided about the hacker’s extradition in result of whom there was caused damage in million dollars:

«He is going to be extradited to the USA, where 60 years of jail threaten him. Why you don’t ask about him?» – Prime Minister was «puzzled».

According to him, «The activities of those implicated in these criminal affairs cost Russia billions»…

«Besides, there had been — attempts on the life and health of concrete individuals during their so called commerce», — Putin added.

The head of the Russian Federation government made a special emphasis that «these deeds, episodes are proved by the court».

«As you know, in the 1930s in the United States, Al Capone was officially only prosecuted for tax evasion while, in practice, he was judged for all the crimes he had committed, in full respect of the law», — Putin said.

Prime Minister stated that all that happens in Russia, «Everything that’s going on with us is in full respect of the law».

Such statements Vladimir Putin has already made repeatedly. For example, as it was published in the portal HRO.org no later than on the 7-th of October this year at the meeting with Russian writers Prime Minister said: «Mentioning him (Michail Khodorkovsky) and other persons involved in this case, it is important to remember that they were privy to assassinations… It was proved by court».

And still earlier, in the second part of 2003, after the arrest of the head of the «Yukos» Security department Alexey Pichugin and the head of the IFO «Menatep» Platon Lebedev in response to the foreign journalists answers Vladimir Putin affirmed that „there is not only economy, but also murder cases“.

It is necessary to note that in the last case the then president made his statement even before trials regarding Alexey Pichugin, Platon Lebedev and Michail Khodorkovsky, and there was no question about any proof of guilt. Meanwhile, it is obvious that this subjective opinion of the CEO had an influence upon forming of viewpoint of both the investigation and of the court and eventually act the part during pronouncing of verdicts of guilty.

However, after these sentences came into force, many famous human rights defenders, public figures and authoritative international organizations have serious doubts about the validity of the «deeds» by court.

As far back as the 11-th of April 2005 the international human rights organization "Amnesty International expressed the opinion that "political context to the arrest and prosecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, former head of the «Yukos» company, and other individuals associated with «Yukos».

A special speaker of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, studied Alexey Pichugin’s case, in her report «Allegations of politically-motivated abuses of the criminal justice system in Council of Europe member state», published in June, 23, 2009, had written that «Mr Pichugin [as well as Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev] may have also fallen victim to the unrelenting campaign against all those related to Yukos and its leading executives».

Within a framework of the first Alexey Pichugin’s criminal case there were not even found the dead bodies of the supposed victims, within a framework of the second one – all the evidence of the «witnesses» were given from a secondhand account. Later, the principle false witnesses refused their evidence against the «Yukos»’s representatives.

It is necessary to add to this that neither Michail Khodorkovsky nor Platon Lebedev had never been accused of personal crimes.

It is unlikely that Vladimir Putin doesn’t know the facts cited above. Also he is hardly in position when he can’t estimate them as a lawyer. That’s why there remains only to make a conclusion that comparing Michail Khodorkovsky with Mafiosi, or affirming about involving the «Yukos» oil company in assassinations, that they were proved by court and everything that’s going on with us is «in full respect of the law», the head of the Russian government purposeful abuses Russian and International society. And Alexey Pichugin’s fabricated case now is used for Michail Khodorkovsky’s slandering. It is obvious that such loud statements are intended for badly-informed and impressionable public.

Besides, that fact arouses anxiety that about the alleged criminal character of the disgraced oil company’s activity Vladimir Putin persistently repeats at that time when there continues the second trial regarding Michail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev.

The lawyers call such actions the attempts to exert illegal pressure. And such public statements of Prime Minister can be fully appreciated by the defense and the observers as the influence upon the Khamovnichesky court of Moscow with purpose to persuade it to the verdict of guilty.

Vera Vasilieva, HRO.org, 29.11.09