Mikhail Khodorkovsky issues a statement, in which he denies the prosecutors' role as his lawyers and supports his real defence attorneys.
Addressed to Moscow Bar Association
Addressed to Prosecutor General’s office
Statement
I inform you that lawyer Karinna Moskalenko represents me in the European Court of Human Rights and consults me on certain legal issues.
I’m fully satisfied with Karinna Moskalenko’s work.
I have not yet taken a decision on whether Karinna Moskalenko’s participation in representing me in the Russian court of first instance on my criminal case is necessary.
Other lawyers are assisting me in reviewing the case file and I do not need immediate additional help on the part of lawyer Karinna Moskalenko during my reading of the case file.
I informed the investigation team that all the defence attorneys whose participation in the review of the case file I consider necessary will become familiar to a certain degree with the case materials at the same time as myself.
Thus, the process of the review of my case file will not be slowed down by my lawyers.
At the same time, the investigation team was deceitful and concealed from me a considerable number of the documents I was not familiar with in the first trial. Now, the volume of charges and consistent separation of charges and documents from the main case forces me to participate simultaneously in several processes.
Apart from the abuse of my rights “by such separating of charges” this creates an artificial situation that requires a division of work and duties between lawyers.
The demand from the investigation that all my lawyers familiarise themselves at the same time as myself with the case files makes it basically impossible to ensure my defence.
I believe that I’m totally entitled to fully and independently choose the issues and the lawyers and the amount they participate in the case.
I believe that by trying to order my lawyers around, the prosecutor’s office is not defending me, but is violating my rights.
If I need defence I will apply correspondingly.
At present, I’m provided with enough defence.
Signature
22.05.2007