The Kremlin's new doublespeak

Putin will never give Russia the reforms he promises

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's richest man, its last pretender to the presidential throne and now its most controversial inmate, could be forgiven if, when hearing President Putin promise him an "open trial", he allowed himself a tiny whoop for joy. A public bout between a politicised prosecutor and his internationalised defence team could only accentuate the flawed and partial nature of the Russian judiciary upon which the Kremlin so depends.
Yet Mr Khodorkovsky, who this week was put on trial for tax evasion and fraud, should have held his breath. In Putin's Russia, an "open trial" can exist in a courtroom barely big enough to fit in the defence's lawyers, a handful of journalists and a gang of armed spetsnaz in fatigues.

The world will only see snatches of the trial. Indeed, one can scarce feel comfortable that the verdict will be "open". In 2002, only 0.8% of defendants were acquitted. Such grave contradictions between what the president says and what he does pervade daily life. It is as if the Kremlin - increasingly staffed by ex-KGB officers - believes the population is endlessly tolerant of falsehood.


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