The guilty verdict against Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky "raises serious questions about selective prosecution" in Russia, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday, dpa reported.
The former Yukos oil company boss and co-defendant Platon Lebedev were found guilty Monday on charges of embezzlement and money laundering. Human-rights groups and opposition activists have complained that the case was politically motivated.
Clinton voiced concerns "about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations."
"This and similar cases have a negative impact on Russia's reputation for fulfilling its international human-rights obligations and improving its investment climate," she said.
"We welcome President (Dmitry) Medvedev's modernization plans, but their fulfillment requires the development of a climate where due process and judicial independence are respected."
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