In the opposition

Process. Issue 23

December 17, 2009 Daily Journal

277–283 Day day

The interrogation of witnesses continues, who still can help the prosecution. The defendant was surprised by the witness Marina Soboleva, who said that Yukos-M still exists and its shareholder is Oil-Activ LLC, which is owned by Rosneft. Mikhail Khodorkovsky called to come to court (as a defense witness!) Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in connection with the recent statements of the latter about the Yukos case. And Plato Lebedev recalled that in the coming year, considerations of cases related to Yukos are coming in various European courts. The situation at the request of the "Daily Journal" is commented by the lawyer Lebedev Vladimir Krasnov:

“Recently, interrogations of witnesses have been passing about the same scenario, witnesses do not confirm anything of what they would like to receive from them, and in fact they are witnesses of protection. The witness George Tian touched on a rather interesting topic: he confirmed that Yukos was engaged in the implementation of oil to the side, and not some of his affiliated structures. When he was asked about what prices were sold at prices, he replied that if the oil production company provided production, paid taxes, wages and everything else, it means that it received enough money to ensure its existence.

As for the requirement of Mikhail Khodorkovsky to call Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as a witness, a citizen Putin is a citizen of the Russian Federation, and the agenda to the court is as mandatory for him as for any other. We initially said that this is one of those people whom we would like to invite, because he stood at the origins of this whole thing.

On the way, a number of cases related to Yukos in the European Court of Human Rights and a number of European jurisdictions. They relate to two large sections: fair justice in the Russian Federation - in the European Court of Human Rights, three complaints of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev have already been consideration - and material claims of former shareholders of the Yukos in connection with the method of bankruptcy that was applied. On January 14, we are waiting for the consideration in the European Court of one of the cases related to material claims: the plaintiffs require at least about a hundred billion dollars. All this is sad, and our clients do not rub their hands at all in anticipation of these claims. They are Russians, and what is happening with the Russian Federation in the courts of other jurisdictions discredit the country in which they were born, grew up, for the development of which they made a lot. But, on the other hand, it is impossible to put up with the lawlessness here. ”

Witness from the TV

Everything seems to be as always. And we are still forced to guess and fix the genre mutations of an endless action.

This time it seemed to us that some misanns were made in the old solid genre of Comedy del Arte with its sparkling, local humor and ingenuous puns.

Well, at least this:

Shokhin: “Lawyers really want to see the public how ... Krasnov shows everyone his impressive back?!”

...

Krasnov : "I don't know how to get up!"

Lebedev: “And let Shokhin turn away. It is strange why the prosecutor Shokhin is so worried about the back of the lawyer Krasnov ... "

Or such, for example:

Lakhtin: "He was sophisticated in pricing!"

Judge: "He said about it?"

Rivkin: "We interrogate the witness, not the tempter."

Judge: "The witness about the temptation said nothing!"

Lakhtin: "Are you tempted in these matters?"

Tian: "I did not work in these companies, ... so I was not sophisticated in anything."

The unconditional, it would seem, the execution of the procedural program of the past days would be to be the testimony of one of the witnesses, for an unexplained reason until the last days hiding the most important information from the court and the investigation. Speech, as it is easy to guess, is about a fragment of the many -hour conversation of Putin Putin with the people, where he, the prime minister, made it clear that he reliably knows about much more wet deeds than those who for so long and dreary “sew white threads” of openly frolicing defendants, unhappy accusers.

It would seem: sensation! It would seem: after such deafening revelations, the court should have turned around at least ninety degrees in order to move in the other direction with cruising speed. But no. Everything is as always: one says one, the other another. Everyone is right and all wrong. And no one, as usual, is responsible for his words. Well, except for those who are supposed to be answered.

Lebedev: “Do you understand what charges you have to testify?”

Konoshenko: "Well, I did not delve into the details ... I heard what Vladimir Vladimirovich told here."

Lebedev: "Here, in court he performed?!"

Konoshenko: "No, on TV."

Well, right. Not everyone in the courts to drag, to shift the shoes and sit the ass. Someone can be on TV. On the TV, it’s warmer and more comfortable. And no one will look into your eyes. And the question of tactless will not ask. And he will not be forced to answer for slander. And for nothing.

Leonid Semloths

Artist Alexander Kotlyarov