Robert Amsterdam

Actually, I don't think it's the double-standards narrative at work so much as the "what about Enron" argument. Kremlin apologists on the Yukos case have latched on to the long list of corporate malfeasance cases in the west – Enron, Tyco, Parmalat, WorldCom/Ebbers, Conrad Black, etc. – suggesting that, while Russian law enforcement may be a bit rude and crude, the prosecution of Khodorkovsky and his confederates is the equivalent of such cases.

And then, there is a more fundamental disconnect involved. In a world full of unfairness, public sympathies tend to go to "our own" people caught up in foreign injustice, or at least to people "like us." So Belgian medicos accused in Libya get a lot of W. European attention. Zahra Kazemi's case in Iran becomes a cause in Canada, because she was a Canadian citizen.

Along with the issues you rightly raise, these are inhibiting the kinds of international outrage one might have hoped for on behalf of Alexanyan, or indeed on behalf of Khodorkovsky, Lebedev and the others. If there were a Smith or, dare I say, an Amsterdam among them, international attitudes would be very different.

What to do? Look for affinities other than nationality. Example: Every western lawyer who reads your blog regularly should be encouraged to fire off a letter to relevant professional organizations such as the International Bar Association. Seek common cause with international prisoner rights' groups. Identify advocates on behalf of HIV victims and seek their help. Find MPs and Congressmen prepared to speak up: They're out there but have never been adequately mobilized.

I do note British MP Malcolm Bruce's Early Day Motion (a parliamentary petition), initiated this week, on the Alexanyan case (http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34999&SESSION=891). That's a start. But there needs to be more.

I am afraid the origins of most if not all human rights movements, organisations etc were more or less "left wing"let it be Marx or Cohn Bendit or some other of the kind.So every "capitalist" is guilty as such!
The free press then but as was shown above its freedom ends where the bussiness begins.
Two ways are blocked then and...tertium non datur .

els - You're being cynical, provocative or both. The Human Rights Institute of the IBA, to cite one example, was hardly established by Marxists. I don't think they've said enough about Russia, but I don't think it's because of ideology.

With regard to the media, give them news about which their readers/viewers/listeners have a demonstrable interest, and they'll cover it.

I agree with Bob that Khodorkovsky, Lebedev and other Yukos principals are rich guys for whom it is difficult (but not impossible) to promote concern. But others, like Svetlana Bakhmina and her boss Alexanyan, are not billionaires. The law of the excluded middle doesn't apply here, or at least not yet. In my view, available possibilities have not been fully tried.

Could be am cynical but never provocative.The problem is far too serious to play with provoking. If cynical its because old enough to remember the beginnings of the Helsinki watch.Leftist doesnt mean marxist.Sometimes only naive like eg my good friend the retired sovietologist (from the bundist family so would feel offended being called marxist)by the way was very active in the Helsinki W. One of the founders if I remember well. I AGREE ALL MUST BE TRIED!Contra spem spero!As wrote somewhere here am the child of the ex political prisoner of the stalinism era in POland and thats why am here. Not to play games provoking etc

but we are not here to argue about HRW.
Dont like feeling helpless but helpless am.Signed the petition , would like to do more but what can do I:semi invalid 50 yrs old woman.
Still if anything -let me know.
Can read English, Russian , some Yiddish (no use i believe)masters of old POlish literature and the second in the political philosophy etc etcMarried to the physicist. No use am afraid

els, you're absolutely right. There's very little information here or on the other Yukos related sites about what concerned citizens can do, beyond signing the petition.

Bob, James? Over to you.

Well...looks like just the two of us talk here so els sounds bit silly My name is Ela (elizabeth)

Hi Ela.

You are illustrating my main point for me. Which is that a global grass-roots (and grass tops) campaign is not just possible, but essential.

Hi fh,
anything I can do then?

I don't know, Ela. I'm in the same spot as you -- awaiting matching orders from Bob and his colleagues. They need to tell people like us whom they'd like to mobilize, and give us some basic tools with which to do it. Is there perhaps an association of former political prisoners with which you are connected and which you could address a letter? Is there a member of the Sejm or the Senate you could contact? It's out of such seemingly modest steps that campaigns are generated.

well...dear fh,
first thing is i never answer any orders .No am not in the contact with the ex political prisoners association, My father doesnt want to belong anywhere,Yes, we have the friend who is the member of Sejm and one of the leaders of PO. will talk to him the first occasion but!! mind it -most people here , even those careing about human rights etc dont think about Mr Ch as the prisoner of the "conscience".
Some sample of what the Poles think we get reading comments to Mr Amsterdam blog in the Salon24 here.If am to say what i do think is:very very little chance to make Poles interested.

Seeing Mr A blog on the Polish blog-site (never heard about him before) my first thought was _Here we have the desperate lawyer who tries everything and...the same i think today.
All our parlament plus the president can protest and what? There is the russian saying Kurica nie ptica , Pol'sza nie zagranica.Nobody would care.
Still thinking and thinking could be I have an idea. Looks very un orthodox but cant believe any 'orthodox" way will help.When Mr A tries the way he must know is useless like make the Polish opinion interested maybe crazy idea has some sense.

Agreed about "orders." Just an ill-chosen figure of speech.

Agreed too about Khodorkovsky and other principals. It will be difficult to generate popular support. In a sense, I wish he had not announced his hunger strike. Although I sympathize with his intentions and his desperation, the gesture draws attention to him, instead of to Alexanyan.

Alexanyan is among what I would term the "innocents," not least because in fact he has not be convicted of anything, but also because he was only a subortinate. They are the victims of collateral damage in this war between the Kremlin and out-of-favour business owners. I think such people deserve our particular support.

Re: "Pol'sza nie zagranica."

You cared. You would be surprised how much impact the concerns of an otherwise disinterested party can have.

dear fh,
Is Mr Ch situation really so tragic as we can guess seeing MrA taking rather desperate steps? Is his life in danger? Sounds silly question but all is possible after Litvinenko.
If so maybe the most untypical ways should be tried.
Is it truth that some Russian Orthodox dignitaries have an influence on Putin? I guess Mr Ch isnt R orthodox but not really important now.

Serious danger. And far more so if he is convicted on the new charges against him. Almost certainly he will be moved to an even more remote "hard regime" camp where, having faded from public consciousness, anything can happen.

I'm afraid the Russian Orthodox church is all but an arm of the state, and is unlikely to be helpful.

I dont believe the RO dignitaries to have mercy on Chodorkowski Just have some idea.

I certainly agree that Mr. A and his colleagues need to be considering less conventional approaches.

Absolutely. Old ways like letters of protest and such like were good before 1989 and some yrs after.

Hi fh ,
are you the editor of this version of this blog?

Ela - No, not at all. I'm just a reader, like you. I've been involved with Russia for many years, in many ways. I'm hard to shock, but I am definitely shocked by the Alexanyan story.

am shocked either but generally am less "shockable".My own father left the stalinist prison weighing 35 kg, with the beginnings of the bone(spine)tuberculosis which was fully diagnosed and fully developed in 1957 ie the year I was born.So Mama and I could have the normal home when I was about 6. His mental "shape" after years in prison (2 with the death sentence) I leave for u to imagine. My Mama , sister and mine living with him -try to imagine too. The decent job he could never get etc etc In fact we suffer till now as my younger sister living since the day she was born in the enviroment not all psychically stable suffers the severe depression...what am to say?
Nobody ever cared or cares about my family. Most people believe the anti communist opposition in Poland started in 1968.
but we do care so I do care about eg Mr Ch and other like him.

have seen this http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2006/10/27/3/a-discussion-about-mikhail-khodorkovsky-with-his-attorney-robert-amsterdam and must say that I disagree with MrA The situation isnt like 25 yrs ago

Thanks for all these comments.

I'm editor of the blog, as one of you had earlier asked.

There are so many points raised here that I wouldn't know where to begin.... everything from the Orthodox church to grassroots campaigns to comparisons between Stalinist and Putinist show trials.

Glad to see there is interest in these discussions.

Hi James,
true -quite a fun must be reading it ie what fh and i write but pretty far from how to get out MrCh from the jail as this is the point of all this;blogs etc Isnt it?
els-Ela

Hi Ela,

Robert Amsterdam's blog is not only a place to find news and opinion on the Khodorkovsky case, but also original writing and reporting on diverse subjects related to Russia, energy, and international affairs. I would even estimate that only 10-15% of our content is directly related to the Yukos case.

Yes, in his role as Khodorkovsky's lawyer, Robert Amsterdam's stated goal is to free him his unlawful detention.

So I believe,dear James, so I believe.

Dear Robert,

Just to let you know that the message is actually spread, I can inform you that I distributed this news to the Swedish East European community as soon as I learnt about it. This actaully provoked some discussion, so it is not all silent.

Yours,

Vilhelm