The Committee included representatives of democratic parties, businessmen and human rights activists. According to a member of the Committee, former deputy of the Chita Duma Oleg Kuznetsov, the creation of a new structure is a form of expression of support for the civic position of the ex-head of YUKOS. Activists of the new organization hope that geographic proximity to Mikhail Khodorkovsky will help them more effectively than other public defenders fight possible violations of the rights of the most famous prisoner of the Chita colony.