Khodorkovsky Kept Behind Bars

24/12/2003| IslamWeb

The Russian oil tycoon, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, will remain in prison pending trial for fraud and tax evasion. A court in Moscow handed down the ruling on the second day of a closed hearing to decide whether he should be granted bail. The former head of oil giant Yukos has been ordered to stay in jail for three more months. That would keep him behind bars until after Russia's Presidential elections in March. Khodorkovsky's supporters say the case is politically motivated. They claim the Kremlin is trying to clampdown on his political ambitions and punish him for funding opposition parties. But Vladimir Putin told Russia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry that nothing could be further from the truth. In a speech to business leaders, Putin said the law may have been complex at the time of privatisations but he maintained that those who wanted to respect the rules, could have done so. He told the audience that he had no re-nationalisation plans - the first time he has ever referred to the subject. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Russian police officers escort former Yukos oil chief and Kremlin opposer Mikhail Khodorkovsky (C) as they arrive at a court house in Moscow. (AFP/Yuri Kadobnov)