U.S. Mission to International
Organizations in Geneva

Anniversary of Arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Ten years ago today, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, then head of the Yukos Oil Company, was arrested in Russia and charged with multiple financial crimes. Mr. Khodorkovsky and his colleague Platon Lebedev remain in jail after being convicted in 2010 on new charges. We reiterate our concerns about selective prosecution, politically motivated investigation, and lack of respect for due process rights in these cases. A number of other recent cases, including the Bolotnaya trials, also raise questions about rule of law in Russia.

The United States continues to support the rights of all Russians to exercise their fundamental freedoms, regardless of their political views.