The U.S. State Department’s 2005 Human Rights Report expressed alarm over “the arbitrary use of the judicial system” in the arrest, detention and conviction of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. The report notes that may observers of the political situation in Russia believe Khodorkovsky “was selectively targeted for prosecution because of his own politically oriented activities and as a warning to other oligarchs against involvement in political affairs or providing financial support to independent civil society.” The State Department report also notes that professional associations at both the local and federal levels reported police efforts to intimidate their attorneys and cover up their own criminal activities. Citing two examples, Lebedev lawyer Yevgeny Baru was attacked in 2005 after a visit with his client, while Khodorkovsky attorney Robert Amsterdam had his visa revoked by the authorities and was forced to leave the country. The State Department acknowledges that various domestic human rights organizations consider Khodorkovsky and Lebedev as political prisoners.