Justice, Russian style

[fgalkin]

Reporter killing: Russia frees six
MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- A Russian court has acquitted all six defendants in the 1994 killing of an investigative journalist who exposed corruption in the military.

The Moscow District Military Court cited lack of evidence on Thursday in its decision to acquit the six men charged in the killing of Dmitry Kholodov, whose death in a suitcase-bomb blast shocked the nation. All six had pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutor Irina Alyoshina said her office would appeal the verdict.

Kholodov, a reporter with the outspoken daily Moskovsky Komsomolets who investigated military corruption, died when a briefcase he had picked up at a Moscow train station following an anonymous call blew up after he took it back to his office. He had been told it contained evidence, colleagues said.

Yekaterina Deyeva, Kholodov's colleague who witnessed his death, said she believed the suspects were guilty but was pessimistic about chances for winning appeal.

"Dima was killed by the state machine, and the state machine has investigated his murder," Deyeva said on Echo of Moscow radio, using Khodolov's nickname.

Judge Yevgeny Zubov ordered the case sent back to prosecutors to look for new suspects.

In 2002, a Moscow court acquitted the suspects of murder, but the Russian Supreme Court's military collegium ordered a retrial a year later on an appeal from prosecutors and Kholodov's relatives.

The appeals court said the first verdict didn't take into account evidence from some witnesses and from Pavel Popovskikh, the alleged organizer of the murder, who initially pleaded guilty.

But the Moscow District Military Court dismissed that evidence in the new trial, taking into account Popovskikh's subsequent claim that he confessed in order to get medical treatment he urgently needed, the Interfax news agency reported.

Investigators said that former Defense Minister Pavel Grachev, repeatedly targeted in Kholodov's articles, ordered Popovskikh to "deal with" the reporter. In his testimony to court in March, Grachev said his words were not an order to kill Kholodov.

Prosecutors also claimed that a possible motive for Kholodov's October 1994 killing was his knowledge of preparations for the first war in Chechnya, launched two months after his death, but the judge ruled that the claim was unsubstantiated.

Popovskikh and most of the other suspects served as officers of an elite paratroop commando unit. They were arrested in 1998 and kept in jail until their acquittal in 2002, but remained free on condition they don't leave the city during the second trial.

CNN linky

Yup, I'm so fucking proud of the Motherland now.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Vympel]

How do you know they're guilty?

[ArchMage]

same way we know OJ was guilty?

[The Kernel]

This is hardly a suprise to me as long as Putin is using the Russian justice system as his own personal club to strike down his political opponents.

[Vympel]

If I were to choose between his scum-sucking thieves of opponents and him, I'd take him. I hold no sympathy for that Yukos CEO they put away, he was a crook.

[The Kernel]

If I were to choose between his scum-sucking thieves of opponents and him, I'd take him. I hold no sympathy for that Yukos CEO they put away, he was a crook.

That's not really the issue is it? I'll grant that Putin has been a compotent leader given Russias problems, but his use of strong arm tactics like that demostrates the blatant corruption that is running through the Russian justice system.

[Vympel]

That's not really the issue is it? I'll grant that Putin has been a compotent leader given Russias problems, but his use of strong arm tactics like that demostrates the blatant corruption that is running through the Russian justice system.

I wouldn't say that's evidence of corruption per se. That's influence of the executive branch over the judiciary. Clearly not nearly as advanced in the field as your average Western country.

Brings up a good question though- anyone think Western style democracy will work in Russia, or just some form of weak authoritarianism tempered by an often compliant parliament?

[fgalkin]

If I were to choose between his scum-sucking thieves of opponents and him, I'd take him. I hold no sympathy for that Yukos CEO they put away, he was a crook.

You do of course realize that everyone who has any money in Russia is involved in some sort of illegal activities. Singling him out for it is like singling out Bill Gates and puting him in jail for jaywalking.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Edi]

If I were to choose between his scum-sucking thieves of opponents and him, I'd take him. I hold no sympathy for that Yukos CEO they put away, he was a crook.

A few more years of Putin and his ilk and Russia will be a complete dictatorship. It already is close to one, make any criticism of the government that is visible on the national level and you will be out of a job and likely charged with anything and everything they can trump up against you, and put in jail.

Try to promote reform causes in the legislature and you will be killed if you don't back down (ref. several political assassinations of prominent reformists in recent years).

Additionally, the "justice" system over there routinely refuses to convict people of clearly demonstrated crimes if the crimes were committed against crictics of the government, and I'm not referring to this particular case.

Also, there is what fgalkin said about people with money in Russia.

Edi

[Ma Deuce]

Brings up a good question though- anyone think Western style democracy will work in Russia, or just some form of weak authoritarianism tempered by an often compliant parliament?

I don't think a "weak authoritarian" government is viable or sustainable without a strict legal framework specifically designed specifically for such a government (i.e, a constitutional monarchy). Without that, any authoritarian governenment (no matter how "weak" or well-meaning it starts out as) will inevitably abuse it's power and gradually become more and more despotic (such as a case where the government is technically a parliminatary democracy, like in Russia).

[Vympel]

You do of course realize that everyone who has any money in Russia is involved in some sort of illegal activities.

And this is a good thing?

Singling him out for it is like singling out Bill Gates and puting him in jail for jaywalking.

You're equating jay-walking to ... *head explodes*

[fgalkin]

You do of course realize that everyone who has any money in Russia is involved in some sort of illegal activities.

And this is a good thing?

No, but its a fact of life

Singling him out for it is like singling out Bill Gates and puting him in jail for jaywalking.

You're equating jay-walking to ... *head explodes*

in terms of frequence of occurence, not in terms of severity.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Vympel]

And this is a good thing?
No, but its a fact of life

So is crime in general. That doesn't mean you should just accept it.

in terms of frequence of occurence, not in terms of severity.

Severity is what matters more than frequency of occurence.

[fgalkin]

And this is a good thing?
No, but its a fact of life

So is crime in general. That doesn't mean you should just accept it.

in terms of frequence of occurence, not in terms of severity.

Severity is what matters more than frequency of occurence.

Then why doesn't he arrest everyone who's not living on the street, then?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Vympel]

Then why doesn't he arrest everyone who's not living on the street, then?

Everyone who's not living on the street colluded with their chums to buy industries worth billions for peanuts?

[fgalkin]

No, everyone who's not living on the street is guilty of tax evasion to a degree. Which is what Khodorkovsky is charged with.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Vympel]

No, everyone who's not living on the street is guilty of tax evasion to a degree. Which is what Khodorkovsky is charged with.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Tax evasion and fraud.

[Edi]

Vympel, if Hodorkovsky and Lebedev are being charged with tax evasion and fraud, why aren't all of their colleagues in other companies of similar sizes on the dock with them? They are all guilty of the same things and even in degrees in the same order of magnitude, yet they are happily chugging along with no fear of prosecution.

The difference between them and Hodorkovsky? Hodorkovsky opposed Putin politically and was very visible as he did so.

Believe me, we've had this stuff on the news a lot here, because it happens right next door to us, and you're fighting a losing side of the argument here. Hodorkovsky and Lebedev are crooks, yes, but no more so than anybody else in the big business leadership (or politics) in Russia. They've been singled out because they were politically active and supported the opposition instead of the government, unless you have a better explanation that fits the facts of what has been going on over there and why.

Edi

[Vympel]

Vympel, if Hodorkovsky and Lebedev are being charged with tax evasion and fraud, why aren't all of their colleagues in other companies of similar sizes on the dock with them? They are all guilty of the same things and even in degrees in the same order of magnitude, yet they are happily chugging along with no fear of prosecution.

I'm simply reporting what's in the court documents- those are their crimes, and if those crimes prevent them from influencing the government, good.

The difference between them and Hodorkovsky? Hodorkovsky opposed Putin politically and was very visible as he did so.

Then I'm glad. You want a crook in charge of Russia? I don't.

Believe me, we've had this stuff on the news a lot here, because it happens right next door to us, and you're fighting a losing side of the argument here. Hodorkovsky and Lebedev are crooks, yes, but no more so than anybody else in the big business leadership (or politics) in Russia.

Slothful generalization- you'll have a hard time showing that every politician or business leader in the country some kind of crook.

They've been singled out because they were politically active and supported the opposition instead of the government, unless you have a better explanation that fits the facts of what has been going on over there and why.

Edi

So? I'll say it again: if I have to choose between robber-baron crooks and Putin, I'll take Putin. That's all I'm saying. I never said that this was an example of a squeaky clean justice system, but in this case, I don't give a shit. I hope they're thrown in jail for the maximum sentence- I have no sympathy for the kind of men who've robbed the country blind trying to start dabbling in politics. Good riddance to them, I say. The $3.5 billion in backtaxes Yukos owes the government alone is worth it.

[Edi]

Vympel, if Hodorkovsky and Lebedev are being charged with tax evasion and fraud, why aren't all of their colleagues in other companies of similar sizes on the dock with them? They are all guilty of the same things and even in degrees in the same order of magnitude, yet they are happily chugging along with no fear of prosecution.

I'm simply reporting what's in the court documents- those are their crimes, and if those crimes prevent them from influencing the government, good.

The difference between them and Hodorkovsky? Hodorkovsky opposed Putin politically and was very visible as he did so.

Then I'm glad. You want a crook in charge of Russia? I don't.

Not really, but that's not an option because nobody at the top of Russian politics can be described as honest. The few who could have mostly either been driven out by crooked means or killed.

Believe me, we've had this stuff on the news a lot here, because it happens right next door to us, and you're fighting a losing side of the argument here. Hodorkovsky and Lebedev are crooks, yes, but no more so than anybody else in the big business leadership (or politics) in Russia.

Slothful generalization- you'll have a hard time showing that every politician or business leader in the country some kind of crook.

I'd rather take the word of our resident Russian and what the other people I know who have close ties to Russia are telling me about the situation there. My uncle works in the Finnish foreign ministry and has a Georgian wife, and they have a lot of Russian friends, and thing is, they are all saying the leadership in Russia is crooked all the way through, you just have to pick your poison.

They've been singled out because they were politically active and supported the opposition instead of the government, unless you have a better explanation that fits the facts of what has been going on over there and why.

So? I'll say it again: if I have to choose between robber-baron crooks and Putin, I'll take Putin. That's all I'm saying. I never said that this was an example of a squeaky clean justice system, but in this case, I don't give a shit. I hope they're thrown in jail for the maximum sentence- I have no sympathy for the kind of men who've robbed the country blind trying to start dabbling in politics. Good riddance to them, I say. The $3.5 billion in backtaxes Yukos owes the government alone is worth it.

I tend to agree, except I'd rather not have Putin in power either. He's a dictatorial asshole and just as corrupt as the oligarchs he's persecuting, only in a different political camp. His rule has only seemed as for Russia as it has because Yeltsin was such a fucking incompetent. Living right next door, I'd much rather have seen even the former communists back in power there than Putin.

Edi

[Vympel]

I tend to agree, except I'd rather not have Putin in power either. He's a dictatorial asshole and just as corrupt as the oligarchs he's persecutingp

So to whoose interests is he beholden to?

only in a different political camp. His rule has only seemed as for Russia as it has because Yeltsin was such a fucking incompetent. Living right next door, I'd much rather have seen even the former communists back in power there than Putin.

You've got to be joking. Under Putin's rule:

- abolished restrictions on private land ownership, for the first time since 1917
- overhauled commercial legislation, pushing through new las in labor relations, customs, trademarks and bankruptcy- which create a clearer legal environment for business
- By combining tight fiscal policy with a managed float of the ruble, stability was quickly restored after the 1998 meltdown
- Lid kept on expenses, using the gains from high oil prices to pay off debt
- $60 billion trade surplus and growing
- budget in the black
- GDP growth rate of 7% a year
- killed off the "virtual economy" of debts, arrears and barter that characterized the 1990s economy by demanding prompt payment of taxes in cash
- Russia's growth is being driven by a surge in productivity across all sectors; a result of the 1990s market reforms begun under Yeltsin and continuing under Putin:
* labor productivity: 14% p.a growth
* telecommunications: 107% (96-02)
* agriculture: 48% (96-02)
* construction: 42% (96-02)
- Consequences of a slimp in oil prices: every dollar off the price of a barrel of crude would trim Russia's GDP growth by less than 3/10ths of a percentage point- so if oil were to fall to $20 a barrel, the economy would still be growing by 5% a year
- Under Putin, the black market share of the GDP shrank from 45% to 37%, a big reason, Putin's 13% flat income tax, which brought millions of citizens onto the tax rolls, and pressured employers to report their full income (because workers are applying for mortgages, car loans, retail credit, and want to prove to their banks they have the income).
- Annual disposable income has doubled since Putin took power, being $1,368
- Foreign car sales: 203,000 203 vs 43,000 in 1999
- 70 contract killings ayear in 2002 compared to *600-800* a year before

And the reforms are not just being felt in Moscow- money is also going to the regions- things are still bad, but they're improving.

Reforms coming:

- raise taxes on oil companies (what Khodorkovsky was so unhappy about)
- cut bureaucrats by 20% (the largest source of corruption)
- cut Cabinet size
- slash the number of licesnes and permits required to register and run a private business

As to the media and approval in general: a March 04 poll by a Russian polling organization: a mere 3% of citizens criticized him for failing to defend democray and political freedoms. Comapred to 34% who criticized him for Chechnya and 24% who think he's not doing enough to fight terrorism.

Despite government control of broadcasters, the print media are still very poen in their criticism of Putin.

(essential summary of a report on Russia in the March 31, 2004 issue of BusinessWeek)

Now *why* would you want communists in charge? How could they *possibly* be better? Christ, he arrests two bloody tycoons and takes control of broadcast media, and all of a sudden he's bloody Stalin incarnate. He's not a bloody dictator yet.

[Edi]

So to whoose interests is he beholden to?

Being a head of state who basically rose from outside the political machine to where he is, he hasn't got as much strings attached as people like Hodorkovsky and his ilk, but he has ties to the security apparatus, which has been very supportive of him, up to and including using extrajudicial measures in promoting his interests. Going from memory, a number of political murders in Russia seem to have ties to those services iirc, and in most of them investigation has fizzled due to lack of cooperation from relevant authorities.

Could be it's my general distrust of Russia that's showing, here, but I stand by what I said. Four years of Putin was quite enough. He got the reforms going, and now that they are under way, they don't need Putin specifically to drive them. He might have been good for the economy, but on the long run he is not good for the country, especially if he gets to pick a successor four years from now who will continue on the same track.

Besides, your claim that print media in Russia is free is not quite true. A lot of papers have been shut down due to political pressure (especially regional ones) and anybody writing too critically about the government is going to get sued out of their livelihood even when there is no real case against them. Russian political researchers in independent institutes in Moscow and elsewhere also don't see things in quite such a positive light as you do.

Who I'd really liked to have seen in power over there was the liberal wing, Yabloko and their allies.

Edi

[Vympel]

Being a head of state who basically rose from outside the political machine to where he is, he hasn't got as much strings attached as people like Hodorkovsky and his ilk, but he has ties to the security apparatus, which has been very supportive of him, up to and including using extrajudicial measures in promoting his interests. Going from memory, a number of political murders in Russia seem to have ties to those services iirc, and in most of them investigation has fizzled due to lack of cooperation from relevant authorities.

Who serves who? He's from the security apparatus, but he's a Yeltsin appointee- who's to say that it's not the security apparatus that serves him?

Could be it's my general distrust of Russia that's showing, here, but I stand by what I said.

Look, Russia isn't going to attack Finland- I dare say, ever again. Why does it bother you?

Four years of Putin was quite enough. He got the reforms going, and now that they are under way, they don't need Putin specifically to drive them.

You need someone like him; the communists, as you said, cannot, by definiton, be good for the economy. The man has a reformist background, spin aside, and there are many of the reform camp in his administration.

He might have been good for the economy, but on the long run he is not good for the country, especially if he gets to pick a successor four years from now who will continue on the same track.

Yeltsin picked a successor who didn't obey him whatsoever- if he had, he wouldn't have gone after the oligarchs that Yeltsin coddled.

Besides, your claim that print media in Russia is free is not quite true.

I didn't say it was "free", I said they still criticized Putin openly.

A lot of papers have been shut down due to political pressure (especially regional ones) and anybody writing too critically about the government is going to get sued out of their livelihood even when there is no real case against them. Russian political researchers in independent institutes in Moscow and elsewhere also don't see things in quite such a positive light as you do.

The sources for that BusinessWeek special report I cited from *were* independent institutes in Russia.

Who I'd really liked to have seen in power over there was the liberal wing, Yabloko and their allies.

Edi

Allies like the party who's funded by Berezovsky, that (self)exiled tycoon? What on Earth for? So he can have some representation in the Duma and get some good legislation in so he can rob the country some more because he doesn't like the apples Putin (who he helped install!) is serving up to him and his kind?