When Dmitry Medvedev became president of Russia two years ago he pledged to combat “legal nihilism,” the disrespect for law that feeds corruption and backwardness in his country.
Any hope that Medvedev might behave differently from his mentor, and Russia's real ruler, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, has been doused by the biggest show trial since the days of the Soviet Union. A week ago, the former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who's already served seven years in Siberian jails on trumped up tax-evasion charges, was found guilty in a second sham trial.
Read Full Article »