Russia prosecutors file new money laundering charges against Khodorkovsky News
Russia prosecutors file new money laundering charges against Khodorkovsky

[JURIST] Russian prosecutors have brought new money laundering charges [MBK statement; JURIST report] against former Yukos [corporate website] CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky [defense website; JURIST news archive], his lawyers said Monday. Khodorkovsky was convicted in May 2005 of tax evasion [JURIST report] and sentenced to eight years in prison. The Russian government effectively nationalized Yukos to pay off $33 billion in back taxes and Khodorkovsky's lawyers have insisted that legal actions against their client have been politically motivated.

Meanwhile, five lawyers representing Khodorkovsky and his business partner, Platon Lebedev [defense website], were detained at an airport in Moscow Sunday while they were on their way to visit their clients at a prison in the Siberian city of Chita [JURIST report]. Yuri Schmidt, one of Khodorkovsky's lawyers, said he and the other lawyers were held by police at the Domodedova airport for approximately one hour without being given any explanation. The lawyers were in route to Chita after being informed that prosecutors planned to file the new charges on Monday based on allegations that Khodorkovsky used his Open Russia Foundation [SourceWatch backgrounder] to funnel oil revenues away from Yukos. If convicted, Khodorkovsky could face an additional 15 years in prison, effectively ending his eligibility for parole this year. BBC News has more. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.