Philanthropist George Soros, who has donated more than $1-billion (U.S.) to promote democracy in Russia, called the continued detention of Russia's richest man “political persecution” and an ominous development.
Oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was arrested Oct. 25 at an airport in Siberia amid a four-month investigation of his Yukos oil company, was denied bail Tuesday. He faces tax evasion and fraud charges.
Mr. Soros told a U.S.-Russian investment symposium Wednesday that it's right for a court to determine whether Mr. Khodorkovsky is guilty of tax evasion. “But keeping him in prison when he can put up bail is political persecution,” as was his arrest by camouflaged security men, Mr. Soros said.
The philanthropist said the action was the latest violation of the rule of law in Russia. He said others included a raid on the offices of his Open Society Institute last Thursday by camouflage-clad “goons” and the recent beating of Otto Latsis, a prominent Russian journalist and critic of the government.
(The best thing about Soros is that ANYTHING he says or does will be reported in the business news... an audience that might otherwise not hear any dissenting opinion about Bushco or Pooty-Poot.)
http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031113.wbsoros1113/BNStory/Business/