The Russian Federal Tax service filed a major tax claim against the “Center for International Legal Defence,” a non-profit organization headed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky defence lawyer Karina Moskalenko. The total tax claims against the Center amount to $17 million, a devastating sum for a non-profit organization.

Karina Moskalenko disputes the validity of the back-tax claim. “We totally disagree with the results of the tax check-up. We consider them groundless and illegal,” she said. She added that the “Center for International Legal Defence” will challenge the additional tax claim in due course.

According to “Center for International Legal Defence” Charter, the main tasks of organization include:

• Providing assistance and effective legal representation to individuals whose rights were violated;

• Allowing for consultations on matters of international law regarding the defence of human rights;

• Establishing a human rights law library containing current international legislation, judicial precedents, and reference literature;

• Drawing issues of human rights in Russia to the attention of legal experts and international human rights organizations;

• Providing assistance to applicants preparing legal materials for submission to international human rights courts;

• Drawing the public’s attention to the need for legal reform;

• Providing recommendations for reforming detention centers to eliminate the human rights abuses that occur there.