White House Concerned Over Russian Rights [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Thu, Oct. 30, 2003

White House Concerned Over Russian Rights
BARRY SCHWEID
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration expressed concern Thursday about human rights in Russia after the arrest and jailing of the head of the Russian oil giant Yukos last week.

"We are concerned about the rule of law," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

There was no direct criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose top lieutenants apparently were behind Saturday's arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, but there was concern about the impact on the fragile democracy in the former Communist state.

"This is something we followed closely," Boucher said. "We are concerned about the rule of law, about maintaining the basic freedom of Russians and the basic fairness of the Russian judicial system."
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