Russian tycoon’s rights violated

MOSCOW – The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday rejected the contention that the 2003 arrest of oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky was politically motivated, dealing a setback to efforts of Khodorkovsky’s supporters to portray him as a prisoner of conscience.

The Kremlin meanwhile sees the ruling as vindication following years of harsh international criticism over Russia’s treatment of a man once seen as a political threat to Vladimir Putin.

Khodorkovsky, who was Russia’s richest person at the time of his arrest, had funded opposition parties and was seen as attempting to rival the dominance of then-President Putin. Supporters have contended his prosecution on charges of tax evasion and fraud was punishment for challenging the Kremlin.

The Strasbourg-based court said Khodorkovsky’s lawyers did not present “incontestable proof” of political motivation in the case. However, it said the charges caused “reasonable suspicion,” leaving the door open for another appeal.

The court also ruled that Khodorkovsky’s rights were violated during his arrest in 2003 and detention when he was held in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

For the past eight years the Kremlin has been insisting that the oil magnate is being tried for economic crimes and that there is no politics involved in the case. On Tuesday, there was no formal reaction to the decision, but a highly placed official told the Associated Press that the Kremlin was satisfied with the ruling.

Putin’s extensive and often emotional comments on the Khodorkovsky case raised doubts about his claims that Khodorkovsky’s prosecution is all about economic crimes.

Khodorkovsky was denied early release in 2008 after a judge cited his refusal to take part in sewing classes in prison and other alleged misdemeanors.