Platon Lebedev

Platon Leonidovich Lebedev (Russian: Плато́н Леони́дович Ле́бедев; born 29 November 1956) is a former CEO of Group Menatep, currently imprisoned in Russia, and is best known as a close associate of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.[1]

Conviction

Lebedev was convicted of tax evasion in 2005, and sentenced to nine years in prison.[2] He was subsequently charged with embezzlement and money laundering in 2009, and pled not guilty to the charges.[3][4] There has been speculation that these charges were politically motivated.[5] On December 27, 2010, Lebedev and Mikhail Khodorkovsky were sentenced again, and will likely spend several more years in jail. "A short prison sentence might be considered a victory for Mr. Putin’s protégé, President Dmitri A. Medvedev, a former law professor who is thought of as less of a hard-liner. Mr. Medvedev has been promoting policies to modernize Russia, and analysts say the Khodorkovsky case is an obstacle toward convincing foreign investors that the country’s legal system is fair."[6][7]

On 24 May 2011, Lebedev and Khodorkovsky were named prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, which criticized the men's second trial and called for their release on the expiry of their initial sentences.[8]

References

  1. ^ City, Our (16 April 2004). "Russian court denies Lebedev his freedom". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/russian-court-denies-lebedev-his-freedom-560172.html. Retrieved 16 February 2010. 
  2. ^ Scott-Joynt, Jeremy (31 May 2005). "Khodorkovsky: an oligarch undone". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4482203.stm. Retrieved 16 February 2010. 
  3. ^ "Ex-Yukos chief pleads not guilty". BBC News. 21 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8009817.stm. Retrieved 16 February 2010. 
  4. ^ "Khodorkovsky pleads not guilty to embezzlement". London: Guardian. 23 January 2008. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8465300. Retrieved 16 February 2010. 
  5. ^ Tavernise, Sabrina (3 July 2003). "Oil Executive Is Arrested, and Russians Look for Putin's Role". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/03/international/europe/03CND-RUSS.html?ex=1057896000&en=c31af43ea395412e&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE. Retrieved 16 February 2010. 
  6. ^ CLIFFORD J. LEVY and ANDREW E. KRAMER, 'Imprisoned Russian Oil Tycoon Is Convicted Again', New York Times, DECEMBER 27, 2010 [1]
  7. ^ Tom Parfitt, 'WikiLeaks: rule of law in Mikhail Khodorkovsky trial merely gloss', Guardian.co.uk, DECEMBER 27, 2010 [2]
  8. ^ "Russian businessmen declared prisoners of conscience after convictions are upheld". Amnesty International. 24 May 2011. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/russian-businessmen-declared-prisoners-conscience-after-convictions-are-upheld-2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.