부산대학교 도서관

The Prosecutor General's Office held a meeting with journalists just before the court started reading out the verdict on fraud case filed against Michail Khodorkovsky, former head of Yukos, and Platon Lebedev, head of the Menatep Interbank Financial Union. Opposition journalists were hampered from being present at the time of reading the verdict because of limited seating arrangements. The 1000 page verdict, which is being read out by different judges at the rate of 40 pages per day, is making the defendants lose the public support. The anti-Khodorkovsky protestors are also being prevented from meeting the reporters. The entire procedure seems to be politically designed to reduce the reaction of public to any harsh verdict.