Johns Hopkins SAIS to host the launch of the Lantos Rule of Law Lecture with Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Open Russia founder, on Tuesday, October 10, 2017
MEDIA ADVISORY
The launch of the Lantos Rule of Law Lecture with Mikhail Khodorkovsky, founder of Open Russia and former chairman and CEO of Yukos Oil Company, will be hosted at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion including scholars and members of the U.S. Congress. It is presented by the Dean’s Forum and the Conflict Management Program at Johns Hopkins SAIS.
Speaker
Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Founder of Open Russia, former Chairman and CEO of Yukos
Moderator
Katrina Lantos Swett
President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice
Time and Date
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Location
Johns Hopkins SAIS
Kenney Herter Auditorium
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Registration
The event is open to the public and media, with registration. Members of the working press can request to cover the event by selecting “Media” on the online registration form. Final media access will be confirmed at least one day prior to the event. Pre-authorized camera setup will only be permitted from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Media Contacts
Stacy A. Anderson
Communications Manager
Johns Hopkins SAIS
202.663.5620 office
202.853.7983 mobile
[email protected]
Candace Bryan Abbey
Washington Director
Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice
202.276.4821
[email protected]
About the Speaker
Mikhail Khodorkovsky is the founder of the Open Russia movement. Khodorkovsky was head of Yukos, one of the world’s largest oil producers, where he established international management codes of practice and substantially increased production. A pioneering philanthropist, he established the Open Russia Foundation in 2001 with the aim of building and strengthening civil society in Russia.
An early supporter of democratic change, at a televised meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2003, he criticized endemic corruption. Later that same year, he was arrested and jailed on charges of tax evasion and fraud, charges he denied and vigorously defended. Khodorkovsky was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, and was released in December 2013. In 2014, The Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that the Russian government had violated international law by taking Yukos from its shareholders for political purposes. Khodorkovsky advocates for Russia to be a strong and just state, committed to observing human rights, free and fair elections, and the rule of law.
About the Lantos Foundation
The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry on the human rights legacy of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a prominent advocate for human rights during his nearly three decades as a U.S. Representative. The mission of the Lantos Foundation is to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency, dignity, freedom, and justice in every corner of the world. Each year, the Lantos Rule of Law Lecture will provide a prominent dissident a safe, global platform to offer perspective on Rule of Law issues in his or her home country, the challenges those citizens face, and what can be done to bring productive change.
About Johns Hopkins SAIS
A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today's critical issues. For nearly 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school’s interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.
For more information, visit sais-jhu.edu or @SAISHopkins
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