Russia fast-tracks release of Khodorkovsky partner

A Russian court Wednesday unexpectedly slashed the sentence of jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky\'s co-defendant in a ruling that could set the stage for the leading Kremlin critic\'s own early release. The decision to cut more than three years from former Menatep bank boss Platon Lebedev\'s jail term may still be appealed by the prosecution and does not set a precedent for Khodorkovsky himself under Russian law. But it still represents a rare victory for a man who built an empire out the now-dismantled Yukos oil company to become not only Russia\'s biggest oligarch but also one of President Vladimir Putin\'s most potent foes. The decision of the court in northern Arkhangelsk means that Lebedev should be freed in March instead of October 2016 after a recent easing of penalties for business crimes. \"I am partially granting the defence lawyers\' appeal,\" judge Viktor Ivanov said in comments televised from the district of Lebedev\'s penal colony. The two colleagues were initially jailed on tax evasion charges in 2004 after waging a fierce political and business campaign against Kremlin interests, including plans to develop a separate Yukos oil pipeline to China. They were convicted and sentenced for a second time in 2010 just months ahead of their scheduled release in a hearing that drew strong condemnation from the West and put Russia\'s damaged investment image in further disrepute. Lebedev appealed the second conviction and the court ruled on Wednesday that legal changes introduced by former president Dmitry Medvedev easing the punishment for white-collar crimes should apply to the Yukos conviction. Khodorkovsky\'s attorney said the defence team had decided to make Lebedev into a test case to see how the judge would rule on the recent change in law. \"We will now be deciding whether to make the same appeal on behalf of Mikhail Khodorkovsky,\" said defence attorney Yury Schmidt. \"The judge cannot avoid complying with this law -- especially now that he has put it into practice in respect to Lebedev,\" Schmidt told AFP. A successful appeal by Khodorkovsky could invigorate a flagging Russian protest movement that has never been able to recover from the blow of Putin taking over the Kremlin by an overwhelming majority in March elections. Khodorkovsky had spent freely on efforts to prop up both the liberal and communist opposition to Putin in parliament prior to his arrest. But the financially-ruined tycoon\'s impact on contemporary politics is unclear now as the opposition has since rallied around a new generation of leaders who view Khodorkovsky\'s era of big business with disdain. Schmidt said Khodorkovsky\'s early release could actually help Putin by easing some of the Western criticism of his first three months back in the Kremlin. \"I have always thought that releasing Khodorkovsky would be the perfect diversion manoeuvre for the Kremlin as it imposes other restrictions and goes after the protesters,\" the attorney said. Analysts said the authorities\' future plan of action would only become apparent once the Arkhangelsk court publishes its explanation of the ruling. Some said that a judge\'s admission that the charges against Yukos were poorly substantiated would deliver a blow to the Kremlin\'s entire case against Khodorkovsky. \"In either case, the government\'s position on Khodorkovsky has been shaken,\" said sociologist and protest leader Dmitry Oreshkin.