Ex-CEO of Yukos Mikhail Khodorkovsky will be able to take part in parliamentary elections

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, ex-CEO of the YUKOS oil company who is now under examination, will be able to perform his right to take part in the elections to the State Duma on December 7 if he wants to. Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia Alexander Veshnyakov told about this when he was meeting with a delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on Friday.

Khodorkovsky has the full constitutional right to take part in the elections at the polling station where he is now.

In this connection Veshnyakov noted that " in this respect the Constitution of Russia is the most democratic in the world". "Only two categories of citizens: those who were imprisoned on the ruling of the court and those who were recognised as being not sui juris - have no right to vote and be elected ", the chief of the Russian CEC said. Citizens who are kept in the pre-trial detention centres will be able to vote.

Khodorkovsky was charged with financial machinations and tax evasion.