The monthly poll on “Russians’ Opinions on the Yukos Case” conducted by the Yuri Levada Research Center showed that almost 50% of respondents believe that the authorities have failed to break Khodorkovsky’s spirit.

The poll showed that Russians have no illusions regarding in whose interests people who seized the assets from Mikhail Khodorkovsky were acting: only 15% admit that it was done in the interests of the state, whereas an overwhelming majority (67%) see it as being done in the personal selfish interest of people who are now controlling Yukos assets.

The population does not understand the rancor of the Russian authorities: almost 46% of respondents consider it wrong to prosecute individuals and organizations that support Mikhail Khodorkovsky, such as his lawyers and the Open Russia Foundation.

The poll was conducted by the Yuri Levada Research Center from October 14-17, 2005 in 46 regions and 128 settlements of Russia. Questions were put to 1,600 people over the age of 18. The poll was conducted in an all-Russia representative sampling which reflects the principal social and professional demographics of the adult population of Russia.