The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) expresses its concern about the detention on 4 February of five attorneys representing the incarcerated Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky at Domodedovo airport, in Moscow.

According to the International Commission of Jurists (statement attached), the attorneys were detained for an hour without explanation, during which their papers including confidential legal documents, were scrutinized. The IHF supports the ICJ’s claim that the search violates the European Convention on Human Rights and United Nations principles concerning the role of lawyers, and the ICJ’s call for an investigation of the incident.

Two of the attorneys detained have been awarded the International Helsinki Federation’s Recognition Award: Karinna Moskalenko (2006) and Yuri Schmidt (2000).