Russia and international law experts have declared the summons served on Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin to appear in a U.S. court illegal, ministry spokesman Pavel Kuznetsov has said. “Kudrin was handed some papers during an official visit to the United States at end of April, the contents of which he had no ideas.” However, according to sources well informed about the legal issue, the summons was prepared in secrecy by ex-Yukos owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s lawyers on the basis of a District of Columbia Federal Court’s decision in a case relating to the bankruptcy of Yukos, where several U.S. citizens were shareholders.
Specifically, the Kudrin summons was served within a suit filed by these shareholders demanding compensations from Russia over the Yukos bankruptcy. Kuznetsov, however, said the U.S. lawyers consulted by Russia on the issue, have called the Kudrin summons illegal. “These actions are legally wrong, and therefore, the summons order will certainly be voided by court,” Kuznetsov added, citing the U.S.-based law firm Baker Botts LLP.
Web design,