Kommersant: Khodorkovsky Got under the Knife

Russia’s jailed tycoon, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was attacked by another convict, Khodorkovsky’s lawyer announced. A young prisoner with whom the former oligarch and ex-CEO of YUKOS used to share dietary, plank bed and even a place in the lockup, tried to cut off Khodorkovsy’s nose by using a sharp object. The lawyers say the convict warmed his way in Khodorkovsky’s confidence to kill him. As to the Federal Prison Service, they don’t doubt it was just an ordinary brawl of two prisoners.

The statement of Mikhail Khodorkovsky's lawyer, Yury Schmidt, that his client was attacked early April 14, had a penetrating wound and was hospitalized was the hot news of nearly all world agencies past weekend. It turned out later on the wound of Khodorkovsky wasn’t tragically penetrating and it was treated by the medical attendant at Krasnokamensk penal colony, where once Russia’s richest man is serving his eight-year sentence.

“Mikhail Borisovich woke up because of the violent pain in the face” roughly at 5:00 a.m. Friday, said another lawyer of Khodorkovsky Natalia Terekhova. “He touched his face. Having felt it was wet, he switched on the light and looked at himself in the mirror. He saw the blood and woke up the household manager, who called an operating officer on duty at colony.”

Khodorkovsky was attacked by his neighbor, Kuchma, 23, who was condemned for petty stealing. The weapon was the sharpened stem of the spoon. Kuchma said he wanted to poke an eye out of Khodorkovsky but his hand trembled in the last moment.

Khodorkovsky declined to submit a complaint, saying Kuchma “didn’t know what he was doing.”