Ex-Prisoners Write Yukos Founder on New Year's

Former "prisoners of conscience" and rights activists including Andrei Sakharov's widow sent jailed businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky New Year's wishes and likened his fate to that of Soviet-era dissidents.

Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man as owner of oil company Yukos, is serving a prison term in Krasnokamensk on fraud and tax charges that human rights campaigners say are politically driven.

"Anyone, who even glanced at the documents in your case understands that the conviction of Khodorkovsky was illegal, unfounded and political," said a letter signed by 22 people and distributed by Khodorkovsky's spokesman.

Russian officials say he was merely a dishonest businessman who got caught.

"When a prison fence is in front of you for years in the forseeable future, even the traditional 'Happy New Year' starts to have a double meaning. We understand and remember this," the letter said.

"But you must celebrate it. Because the old year ought to be sent off properly. ... Only God knows what your New Year will be like, but we hope it will be no worse than 2005."

Among the signatories was Yelena Bonner, widow and fellow campaigner of Sakharov, the Soviet nuclear physicist turned rights champion who spent years in exile for his activities.

Other one-time dissidents jailed in the communist period who signed the letter included Sergei Kovalyov, a co-head of rights group Memorial; Gleb Yakunin; and Pavel Litvinov.

The signatories also included Alexander Nikitin and Grigory Pasko, both of whom spent time in jail in Russia's post-communist era on spying charges brought after they exposed environmental disasters.

"In Krasnokamensk, you will mark the New Year six hours ahead of Moscow. It's not bad to live six hours ahead of the Kremlin and the general prosecutor. It means you will be free six hours earlier," the letter said.

The Moscow Times, 12.30.2005