Statement from the Transbaikal Committee on Public and Political Support of Mikhail Khodorkovsky

December 1, 2005

We, citizens of the Russian Federation and representatives of various social associations of the Chita oblast, declare the establishment of Transbaikal Committee in Public and Political Support of Mikhail Khodorkovsky who is now in prison near Krasnokamensk by the decision of the Kremlin’s “pocket justice.”

Mikhail Khodorkovsky became a convict of a Transbaikal colony IK-10 because he openly criticized the existing political regime, its unprofessionalism, corruption and absence of understandable socio-economic policy. He became a convict because he did not spend money on buying foreign football clubs, instead creating new workplaces and allocating substantial funds for the development of civil society and public education in Russia.

The authorities always considered Transbaikal a land of hard labor and exile of undesired political prisoners and that is clearly shown by the dramatic history of our land. Lives of many distinguished Russians who became victims of political oppressions - from Decembrists to victims of Stalinism - are closely tied with the history of Transbaikal.

Today’s political regime has shown that it is intent to continue the evil tradition of the tsarist regime and Stalinism by adding new names to the list of political prisoners. They hoped that here, in Transbaikal exile, Mikhail Khodorkovsky would break down, that he would be forgotten.

Nevertheless, Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s statement from the Transbaikal colony IK-10 demonstrates that the authorities have not managed to silence him and force him to abandon his views, that Russian citizens have not forgotten him and that our joint fight is just beginning.

The establishment of the Transbaikal Committee in Public and Political Support of Mikhail Khodorkovsky is designed to draw Russian citizens’ attention to the dangerous transformation of the present political regime into authoritarianism and the increasing mismatch between its words and actions.

We declare that in spite of the unprecedented propaganda and manipulation of public opinion by controlled media, the political regime could not fool many Russian citizens, including the people of Transbaikal.

We establish our committee to express our support of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who became a victim of direct political pressure and the absence of independent judicial system in our country.

We consider Mikhail Khodorkovsky to be a political prisoner and that is why we believe that our support of Mikhail Khodorkovsky is our moral imperative.

We call on everyone who shares our position irrespective of political views to solidarity of action and join the effort to resist lawlessness and violations of human rights in Russia.

Kuznetsov Oleg Vladimirovich, Chairman of the Support Committee for Khodorkovsky,
Zhidkov Andrei Alekseevich, Chita City Duma Deputy
Glazirina Irina Petrovna, “Yabloko” Party, Regional Office Chairman
Zabaruzhskaja Irina Gennadievna, Ph.D. in Law
Linnik Igor Urievich, “Yabloko” Deputy Chairman
Forov Vladimir Ivanovich, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation
Morozov Vladimir Semenovich, Republican Party, Regional Office Chairman