FCO Report: Khodorkovsky Case Raises Concerns About the Rule of Law in Russia

April 15, 2013

The case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky is raised in this year’s Foreign Office report on human rights and democracy for 2012.

Launched by the British Foreign Secretary, the report assesses the global human rights situation in 2012 and sets out what the British government is doing to promote human rights and democratic values around the world. In assessing the situation for human rights in Russia, it refers directly to the case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and its worrying implications for the rule of law in Russia:

“A Russian court reduced the jail sentences of former Yukos owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev by two years in December, in a case which continues to raise concerns about the rule of law in Russia. We regard their imprisonment as having worrying implications for the rule of law in the country.”

The report also draws attention to the meeting last year between the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg and Khodorkovsky’s mother Marina and son Pavel, pointing out that: “The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, met Khodorkovsky’s relatives in February and called on the Russian authorities to strengthen respect for the law, tackle corruption and promote genuine independence of the judiciary.”

In terms of the general picture regarding Russian human rights, the official government publication noted: “By the end of the year there had been a marked deterioration, characterised by attempts to control civil society, restrict political and marginalise minority groups.”  It cited examples such as  “indications of electoral malpractice” during the Russian presidential elections, “increasing pressure” on opposition figures, and “a package of restrictive legislative measures that constrained the environment for civil society,” which have recently been used in the targeting of over 200 NGOs.

The report also highlighted the “disproportionate” two-year jail sentence given to members of the Pussy Riot punk group as well as noting that there has been no meaningful progress towards securing justice” with regard to the case of the Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who was murdered in detention after he uncovered a massive tax scam being carried out by Russian officials.

The FCO report confirmed that, “The Prime Minister raised human rights concerns in his meeting with President Putin in August. The Foreign Secretary did so when he met Foreign Minister Lavrov in May.”

In his statement accompanying the publication of the report, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary explained the logic behind each of the twenty-seven countries named: “The primary criterion for inclusion as a country of concern is the gravity of the human rights situation in the country, including both the severity of particular abuses and the range of human rights affected. The other criteria then considered are: whether a deterioration or improvement in the human rights situation in the country would have a wider impact in the region; whether the human rights situation in the country has an impact on wider UK interests; and the level of UK activity and engagement in that country.”

Khodorkovsky’s son Pavel, mother Marina Philippovna and UK’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
Pavel Khodorkovsky, Marina Philippovna and Nick Clegg during their meeting