MOSCOW, APRIL 6, 2004, (RIA Novosti) - The essay "Crisis of Liberalism in Russia," carried in the March 29 edition of the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, may not be penned by Mikhail Khodorkovsky personally, but the ideas it contains are surely his, defense lawyer Karina Moskalenko said to reporters Tuesday. She failed to explain, however, how the newspaper's editorial board had obtained the essay. She said only that Khodorkovsky had long been in correspondence with Duma MPs and lawyers, sharing his political views with them.
Vedomosti attributed the essay to the beleaguered tycoon. A few days after the publication, however, Khodorkovsky, who is now in pre-trial detention on embezzlement charges, made an official statement denying his authorship.
