To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will condemn recent comments made by the Kremlin on (a) Mikhail Khodorkovsky and (b) other dissident pro-democratic Russians, in the context of the formal platform of engagement with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will condemn recent comments made by the Kremlin on (a) Mikhail Khodorkovsky and (b) other dissident pro-democratic Russians, in the context of the formal platform of engagement with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

My Lords, the question is, “Why Khodorkovsky?”. There are a number of reasons. First, he is a successful businessman. He turned around a high-cost loss-making company into profit and increased production so that by 2003 it produced 20% of Russia’s oil and was Russia’s second-largest taxpayer. The leading Russian business...

My Lords, the question is, “Why Khodorkovsky?”. There are a number of reasons. First, he is a successful businessman. He turned around a high-cost loss-making company into profit and increased production so that by 2003 it produced 20% of Russia’s oil and was Russia’s second-largest taxpayer. The leading Russian business...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, on raising this important matter in this debate. We should put on record our appreciation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Rights for the work that it does on this issue and the material results of its research, which are...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, on raising this important matter in this debate. We should put on record our appreciation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Rights for the work that it does on this issue and the material results of its research, which are...

My Lords, I also commend my noble friend Lord Trimble for bringing this important matter to your Lordships’ House and presenting it with his usual methodical and forensic accuracy. The timing of this debate is important, as he has pointed out, given the legal cases in Russia and those coming...

My Lords, I also commend my noble friend Lord Trimble for bringing this important matter to your Lordships’ House and presenting it with his usual methodical and forensic accuracy. The timing of this debate is important, as he has pointed out, given the legal cases in Russia and those coming...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, for raising this matter tonight. After the end of the Soviet Union, I had a long involvement in Russia with both churches and organisations for disadvantaged children and young people. In the course of this, I met Mr Khodorkovsky when he...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, for raising this matter tonight. After the end of the Soviet Union, I had a long involvement in Russia with both churches and organisations for disadvantaged children and young people. In the course of this, I met Mr Khodorkovsky when he...

My Lords—

10.40 pm

My Lords—

10.40 pm

My Lords, I would be happy to give way to the noble Baroness because I am sure that her remarks will be of greater interest to the House than mine. Like the noble Lord, Lord Hylton, I pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, for securing this debate and,...

My Lords, I would be happy to give way to the noble Baroness because I am sure that her remarks will be of greater interest to the House than mine. Like the noble Lord, Lord Hylton, I pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, for securing this debate and,...

My Lords, I apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Bates; I had not realised that he was there waiting to speak. I join in his congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, not only on embarking on this debate but on giving us an extremely concise and excellent description of...

My Lords, I apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Bates; I had not realised that he was there waiting to speak. I join in his congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, not only on embarking on this debate but on giving us an extremely concise and excellent description of...

My Lords, I declare an interest or, more precisely, a brief. For the past five years I have represented Mr Khodorkovsky as his leading counsel in his applications to the European Court of Human Rights, where he is complaining about his two trials, convictions and prison sentences. It would therefore...

My Lords, I declare an interest or, more precisely, a brief. For the past five years I have represented Mr Khodorkovsky as his leading counsel in his applications to the European Court of Human Rights, where he is complaining about his two trials, convictions and prison sentences. It would therefore...

My Lords, I, too, would like to commend the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, for the great knowledge, conviction and clarity with which he spoke about this subject. I thank him for bringing this timely debate, coming as it does two days before an important judgment by the European Court of...

My Lords, I, too, would like to commend the noble Lord, Lord Trimble, for the great knowledge, conviction and clarity with which he spoke about this subject. I thank him for bringing this timely debate, coming as it does two days before an important judgment by the European Court of...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Trimble for calling this important debate on the Khodorkovsky case, and I am grateful once again for the quality of this debate and the expertise of noble Lords.

I start by assuring noble Lords that we have raised our concerns about...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Trimble for calling this important debate on the Khodorkovsky case, and I am grateful once again for the quality of this debate and the expertise of noble Lords.

I start by assuring noble Lords that we have raised our concerns about...

Lords question for short debate on what representations they have made to the governments of Russia and other European countries about the Khodorkovsky case at the European Court of Human Rights.

Lords question for short debate on what representations they have made to the governments of Russia and other European countries about the Khodorkovsky case at the European Court of Human Rights.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusions by the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights and Civil Society in December 2011 about the convictions in December 2010 of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev; and whether they have made representations to the Government of Russia...

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusions by the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights and Civil Society in December 2011 about the convictions in December 2010 of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev; and whether they have made representations to the Government of Russia...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is continuing to monitor the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is continuing to monitor the trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky; and if he will make a statement.

(2) whether he raised the case of the ongoing second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky in bilateral discussions with President Medvedev during the recent G8/G20 summit;

(2) whether he raised the case of the ongoing second trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky in bilateral discussions with President Medvedev during the recent G8/G20 summit;

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Russian Federation government about the imprisonment and trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Russian Federation government about the imprisonment and trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department plans to monitor the forthcoming trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department plans to monitor the forthcoming trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he discussed the case of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky with President Medvedev at the G20 summit; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he discussed the case of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky with President Medvedev at the G20 summit; and if he will make a statement.

(2) what steps his Department is taking to monitor the trial of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky; and if he will make a statement.

(2) what steps his Department is taking to monitor the trial of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations his Department has made to the Russian Government on the trial of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky; and if he will make a statement;

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations his Department has made to the Russian Government on the trial of Mr. Mikhail Khodorkovsky; and if he will make a statement;