#17 - JRL 9117 - JRL Home
Former head of Russia's Yukos gets ovation after final speech in court
Interfax

Moscow, 11 April: Moscow's Meshchanskiy Court has finished proceedings in the criminal case against former head of Yukos Mikhail Khodorkovskiy, head of Menatep Platon Lebedev and the former general director of Volna, Andrey Kraynov.

An Interfax correspondent reports that the court said a verdict will be given on 27 April.

In his final statement, Mikhail Khodorkovskiy again declared that he considers himself innocent and that he will not ask for leniency.

"The whole country knows why I have been put in prison, so that I do not hinder the pillaging of Yukos. Certain influential people have undertaken the systematic destruction of Yukos with an aim to appropriate a prosperous company, or rather its profits," Khodorkovskiy said.

He said that "the people who are plundering Yukos are profit-seeking bureaucrats ... [ellipsis as received] Let the full responsibility lie with those who have undertaken this."

The former head of Yukos remarked that since his arrest one and a half years ago "capital flight from Russia has increased six times".

He denied all charges against him: "It is nonsense from beginning to end."

"I have neither yachts, nor palaces, nor football clubs ... [ellipsis as received] I was the wrong sort of oligarch, therefore the authorities not only confiscated Yukos but are now holding me in prison for the second year running," Khodorkovskiy said, remarking that every year he spent billions of roubles on charitable activities.

"I am proud of my work over 15 years. I have sincerely tried to work for the good of my country, and not of my pockets ... [ellipsis as received] All that I have left is the knowledge of my innocence, my business reputation and will," he said.

"I do not plan to request leniency. We will definitely strive for justice," he said.

The Interfax correspondent said his speech was met with an ovation in the room.

[At 0907 gmt, ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Khodorkovskiy as saying: "Regardless of the court's verdict, I will all the same work for the good of the country, since I have three young children and I must bring them up."

He was also quoted as saying there was not a single piece of evidence which testified to his guilt and he thanked everyone who had supported him.

Platon Lebedev refused to give a final statement, according to ITAR-TASS]