The Hill News

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that the conviction in Russia of one-time oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky in his second trial raised “serious questions” about the rule of law in that country.

The judge's conviction of Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man and a potential political threat to the Kremlin, on embezzlement and money laundering charges was widely expected. And it prompted immediate criticism from some human rights groups and the U.S., which suggested the trial was politically motivated.

“Today's conviction in the second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and [former business associate] Platon Lebedev on charges of embezzlement and money laundering raises serious questions about selective prosecution â€" and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations,” Clinton said in a statement. “This and similar cases have a negative impact on Russia’s reputation for fulfilling its international human ! rights obligations and improving its investment climate.

“We welcome President [Dmitry] Medvedev’s modernization plans, but their fulfillment requires the development of a climate where due process and judicial independence are respected,” she added. “We will monitor the appeals process.”

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