The following is a translation of an opinion column by Grigory Pasko published in the German newspaper Tagesspiegel.

Joyful Books, Sad Truths

By Grigory Pasko

There is a funny book in Russia, the Russian Federation’s penal code. It is funny because it is so far removed from reality that it is impossible to read without laughing, if only reality weren’t so cruel and grim. There are innumerable sad examples in the Russian justice system. This is particularly clear in the continuing harassment of the so-called “justice” relating to the actors in the “Yukos case.” Article 6 is called the “Principle of Justice.” It states that the punishment must fit the character and degree of social danger of the crime. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia’s most prominent prisoner, probably does not find this article particularly hilarious. On Saturday he completes his fifth year in prison, where he sits because of supposed tax evasion. He is denied release on probation because he apparently refused a training course in prison to learn to sew. To give an interview he is locked up.

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