Text of letter to President Medvedev

His Excellency Dmitry Medvedev

President of the Russian Federation

Dear Mr. President

We, the undersigned, believe that Russia can and should be a positive force in shaping the development of our increasingly interconnected world. As a major global power, a bridge between East and West and a country with a long and proud history in virtually every field of human endeavour, Russia can exert tremendous positive influence on the world of tomorrow.

You have in your words demonstrated your understanding that Russia’s place in the world depends in large part upon her robust respect for the rule of law and citizens’ fundamental human rights. As such, we believe that the conduct of the cases by the Russian judicial institutions of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev, as well as investigating of the deaths of Sergey Magnitsky, Anna Politkovskaya, Natalya Estemirova, Stanislav Markelov and many others that seek justice in their own home country are of seminal importance in shaping the views of the outside world on Russia’s respect for the rule of law.

Actions are now possible to demonstrate that Russia is truly a regime of law today. The proceedings against Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, spun out over seven years have been of particular concern to us. The consensus of respected objective observers is that their ongoing persecution is unjust and not truly motivated by law. This has shaken confidence in the Russian legal system and in your strong will to uphold the Russian Constitution. We therefore hope that the manner in which the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev case is decided will strictly adhere to the principles of the rule of law, as enshrined in the Russian Constitution.

As strong supporters of the drive to modernise Russia we cannot stand idly by when rule of law and human values are being so openly abused and compromised. Stable and reliable partnerships with Russia can exist only where our fundamental common values, are shared and applied: where human rights are protected, property rights are secure, and justice prevails over corruption. Ending the persecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Platon Lebedev and others related to the Yukos Affair, and finding justice for Sergey Magnitsky, Anna Politkovskaya, Natalya Estemirova, Stanislav Markelov and many other victims that seek justice in Russia, would send positive signals of change and show that Russia is indeed on the path towards modernisation. The world is watching very closely the outcomes of these cases on which so much rests for enhancing confidence in your great country.

Sincerely,

Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP, Former Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1995-1997)

Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Former Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2007-2010)

Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell MP, Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats UK (2006-2007) & Former Foreign Affairs spokesperson (1997-2006)

Richard Ottoway MP, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee

Chris Bryant MP, Former Minister for Europe (2009-2010) and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Russia Group

Terry Gilliam - Screenwriter, film director, animator and actor

France

Bernard Kouchner, former Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007-2010)

Hubert Vedrine, former Minister of Foreign Affairs (1997-2002)

Noлlle Lenoir, former Minister of European Affairs (2002-2004), former member of the French Constitutional Court

Jack Lang, former Minister of Culture, former Minister of Education, Member of French Parliament (PS)

Galia Ackermann, Chief Editor of the Russian Service of Radio France International

Andre Glucksmann, Academic, writer and philosopher

Germany

Markus Lцning, Human Rights Commissioner to the German Government (2010- )

Michael Link, Free Democratic party, Spokesperson for European Politics within the German Federal Parliament

Marina Schuster, FDP & Spokesperson for Human Rights

Ute Granold, Conservative Party Christian Democrart party, Member of the Committee on Human Rights within the German Federal Parliament

Marina Schuster, FDP, Member of the Committee on Human Rights within the German Federal Parliament

Dr. Ludolf von Wartenberg, former member of the presidential board of the Federation of German Industries

Klaus Naumann, former Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr

Brussels

Khristiina Ojuland MEP, former Foreign Minister (2002-2005)

Tunne Kelam, (EPP-Estonia) Vice-President, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (1994-1995)

Heidi Hautala, Chair Subcommittee on Human Rights, (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Finland)

Werner Schulz, Vice-Chair Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Co-operation Committee, (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Germany)

Bart Staes, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, Belgium), Vice-Chair Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia

Catherine Bearder MEP (ALDE, UK)

Chris Davis MEP (ALDE, UK)

Michael Gahler MEP (EPP, Germany)

Marian Harkin MEP (ALDE, Ireland)

George Lyon MEP (ALDE, UK)

Cristian Silviu Busoi MEP (ALDE, Romania)

Dirk Sterckx MEP (ALDE, Belgium)

Graham Watson MEP (ALDE – UK)

Renate Weber MEP (ALDE, Romania)

Sіawomir Witold Nitras MEP (EPP-Poland)

Italy

Hon. Piero Fassino, Responsible for Foreign affairs of the Partito Democratico and former Minister of the Republic (Undersecretary of State for Foreign affairs in 1996, Minister of International trade in 1998 and Minister of Justice in 2001)

USA

Richard V. Allen, former United States National Security Advisor

Leon Aron, American Enterprise Institute

Robert Arsenault, International League for Human Rights

Felice Gaer & Jacob Blaustein Institute for Human Rights

Peter D Hannaford, long-time associate of the late President Ronald Reagan

James Harmon, Chairman, Harmon & Co., LLC, former President of the Export-Import Bank, United States

Katrina Lantos Swett, Tom Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice

Eugene K. Lawson, Co-founder, US-Russia Business Council

James P. Moore, Jr., former United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce

Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, former US Ambassador to the UN and Energy Secretary

Richard Schiff, Actor

Holland

Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, D66 Dutch politician, former undersecretary of state of foreign affairs and a minister of agriculture

Israel

Shimon Stein, former Israeli Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Текст обращения к Дмитрию Медведеву