Introduction

This report by the EC Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, analyses the circumstances surrounding the arrest and prosecution of Mr Khodorkovsky, Mr Lebedev and Mr Pichugin, former leading Yukos executives. The Rapporteur's findings put into question the fairness, impartiality and objectivity of the authorities which appear to have acted excessively in disregard of fundamental rights of the defence guaranteed by the Russian Criminal Procedure Code and by the European Convention on Human Rights.