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#34 - JRL 2006-3 - JRL Home
Yukos Owners Serving Terms In Remote Areas For Safety Reasons - Official

MOSCOW. Jan 2 (Interfax) - The physical condition of head of Menatep Company Platon Lebedev does not prevent him from serving his term in a remote corrective institution in Yamalo-Nenets district, head of the Federal Penitentiary Service Yury Kalinin has told Interfax.

"There are no contraindications as far as Lebedev's health is concerned. The conclusions of medical examinations prove that," he said.

That was his response to lawyers' claims that the Federal Penitentiary Service broke the law by sending Lebedev and former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky to very remote places instead of areas close to the place of their residence or trial.

"The claims are insinuations and mere speculations. I want to say once again that Lebedev can serve his term in the climatic conditions of the place of his confinement. By the way, he is working very well and is disciplined," Kalinin said.

Speaking of the institutions where Khodorkovsky and Lebedev are staying Kalinin said they were chosen for security reasons among other things. "They are serving their terms in remote institutions where nobody can bother them or us. It should be remembered that their case prompted strong public response and the attention to them is special. There are groups of persons who support them, for instance, their lawyers, but their support is also duly paid.

However, there are other people who believe that they (Khodorkovsky and Lebedev) simply robbed the nation and don't want to forget the insult. I don't rule out that there could have been some excesses. Who can be sure? We do not want to be reproached later for not guaranteeing their security or even worse for having intentionally created such conditions when anything could happened to them. Why would be need that?" Kalinin said.