Before being arrested on July 2, 2003, for fraud, tax evasion and failure to comply with a court order, Platon Lebedev was a successful businessman. Once working to improve the unregulated Russian business environment by implementing Western business principles in Russia, Lebedev is now a political prisoner and a symbol of the Kremlin's willingness to silence and punish its critics.
In 1991, Lebedev was appointed as president of Bank MENATEP, a position he held until 1995. During his tenure at MENATEP, he introduced accountability measures and high standards in accounting and reporting, while simultaneously streamlining operations.
Following the privatization of YUKOS in the mid-1990s. Lebedev became Vice President and Head of YUKOS Refining and Marketing. In his role at YUKOS, Lebedev led efforts to introduce YUKOS stock on international capital markets.
Lebedev became the director of Group MENATEP following the incorporation of Group MENATEP Ltd. in 1999. In this position, Lebedev was instrumental in all decisions, including investment decisions, accounting, financial reporting and the expansion of Group MENATEP's holdings. Lebedev sought to position Group MENATEP as a link to the West for major Western investors considering a move into Russia. Lebedev applied Western standards and practices to Russia, helping Western partners better understand the Russian business world.
Lebedev's arrest in July, 2003, was widely viewed as a warning to his business partner, YUKOS CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Lebedev's arrest was also a way for the Kremlin to break down Group MENATEP's business and to further the re-nationalization of Russia's oil and gas industry.
The prosecution was given over a year to present the charges against Lebedev, while the defense team was only allowed one month to review the charges. During the trial, the court and the prosecution committed several procedural and due process violations. Outside of the courtroom, Lebedev's assets were confiscated by the Russian government.
In May of 2005, Lebedev was found guilty on all charges. Lebedev is currently serving his sentence in a remote area of Siberia. His placement in Siberia is at odds with Russia's health protection measures for inmates, as Lebedev suffers from chronic hepatitis and cardiovascular dystonia which causes abrupt swings in arterial pressure and can lead to loss of consciousness.
Lebedev is being unfairly persecuted for political reasons. His continued imprisonment is further evidence of an unfair regime that crushes its opponents, punishes its critics and extinguishes freedom in Russia.
