Platon Lebedev — Yukos case

Platon Lebedev was Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s business partner and one of Yukos’s shareholders. His story is linked to the company’s breakup and the lengthy criminal proceedings against its executives.

Lebedev was arrested on 2 July 2003. He received a sentence in the first case in 2005 and a new sentence in 2010. After more than ten years in detention, he was released on 24 January 2014. In 2013, the European Court of Human Rights considered his application together with Khodorkovsky’s, found certain Convention violations, but did not find a violation of Article 18 in relation to the alleged political motive for the prosecution.

In 2014, an investment arbitration tribunal ruled that the investments of former Yukos shareholders had been indirectly expropriated. This finding concerned the investment dispute and was not a separate ruling on Lebedev’s personal liability.

Photo: Platon Lebedev, 2009. Wikimedia Commons / Khodorkovsky and Lebedev press centre, CC BY 3.0 (credit as stated in the client-provided case file).

Sources

• Khodorkovskiy and Lebedev v. Russia, Applications Nos. 11082/06 and 13772/05 — European Court of Human Rights (HUDOC)
• Materials concerning the implementation of the ECHR judgment and Platon Lebedev’s release — Materials submitted by a party to the case
• Yukos Universal Ltd. v. Russian Federation, PCA Case No. AA 227 — UNCTAD Investment Policy Hub

Key Dates

• 2 July 2003 — Arrest. Platon Lebedev was arrested in July 2003.
• 2005 — First conviction. According to the case file, Lebedev and Khodorkovsky received lengthy sentences in 2005.
• 2010 — Second conviction. According to the case file, new sentences were imposed.
• 24 January 2014 — Release. Released after more than ten years in detention.
• 18 July 2014 — Investment arbitration award concerning former Yukos shareholders. The tribunal ruled in a dispute between former shareholders and the Russian Federation.