Quote of the Week - Guardian on Khodorkovsky

Chuck and Vlad - men of influence

"It [the legal proceedings against Mikhail Khodorkovsky] has become a persecution and Khodorkovsky has entered the ranks of politically repressed. As such, whenever he is released, he will be a magnet for all the other injustices suffered under this regime. No one will believe President Medvedev when he talks about the rule of law in Russia. With Khodorkovsky sitting in jail, the president's words remain empty rhetoric. But outside it, Khodorkovsky will be even more difficult for the Kremlin to deal with." The Guardian evaluates why the Russian government only began to have a problem with Khodorkovsky's alleged thievery after he began disagreeing with the Kremlin and funding opposition parties, and why releasing him would now be a political problem for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. 

We are convinced, however, that FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer will back up his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's assertion that "this and similar cases have a negative impact on Russia's reputation for fulfilling its international human rights obligations and improving its investment climate" by calling his very close new friend Mr. Putin to chat about the matter and persuade him to order a fair and transparent re-trial without state interference. Pick up the phone, Chuck! After all, Vlad owes you one for that 2018 vote.