MOSCOW, December 16 (Itar-Tass) —— A city court in Karelia, where tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky is serving his prison term, annulled two reprimands imposed on him by the warden as “unlawful and unfounded”, lawyer Vadim Klyuvgant told Tass on Thursday.
The decision may open a way for parole to Khodorkovsky who has served over a half of his 14-year prison term which expires in 2016.
“The Senezh city court satisfied Khodorkovsky’s complaint and annulled the reprimands,” Klyuvgant said.
He specified Khodorkovsky received the reprimands for “improper attitude to labor” and “for being in an unauthorized place without permission.” The lawyer explained Khodorkovsky “could not fulfill the assignment of the foreman because of the absence of a welder and waited for the foreman in his office in the premises of the production shop to get a new assignment.”
Klyuvgant said he was fully satisfied with the court ruling. “It is the only correct decision which the court could pass as the reprimand was absolutely unfounded,” he said.
Earlier the court annulled another reprimand to Khodorkovsky for offering cigarettes to his cell mates. Prison authorities qualified it as “unlawful disposal of items in favor of other convicts.”
“Klyuvgant described both reprimands as “faked” and violations as “invented.”
Khodorkovsky and his former partner Platon Lebedev were sentenced to 14 years in jail for fraud and money laundering. They have to stay in jail up to 2016. Lebedev already attempted to be released on parole, but the request was denied because of reprimands from prison authorities.