"Adult people I deeply respect wouldn't come to an accord. I am extremely sorry to see it," Khodorkovsky, now in detention, said in a message he has passed through Anton Drel, his lawyer.
General accord and reciprocal concessions alone can allow teamwork to go on, especially in the present trying situation, he pointed out.
"I am calling on you once again: let bygones be bygones. Get to a round table all together, and come to a compromise you won't be sorry about later. I have no chance to take part in reconciliation efforts. As I see it, the final say ought to belong to the Moskovskiye Novosti Observation Council."
None other than the council represents the readership, stressed the former proprietor of Yukos. "I hope the [other] newspaper proprietors will share my stance."
The dismissed journalists have made a special issue titled, Moskovskie Novosti Without Kiselev. It was circulated today at Moscow's Meshchansky district court, where hearings are underway on the Khodorkovsky, Lebedev and Krainov case.
The opening page carries the journalists' open letter to Khodorkovsky. As they see it, they have fallen out with Kiselev on all matters-professional, political, ethical and business. The authors inquire whether Moskovskiye Novosti editorial policies comply with Khodorkovsky's ideas or not. They are also eager to know what he thinks about Leonid Nevzlin's desire to join efforts with Boris Berezovsky in political activism. "That is a matter of principle to us as you and Leonid Nevzlin are Moskovskiye Novosti co-proprietors," says the letter.
The special issue also carries a statement by the Observation Council. "Yevgeny Kiselev, the present head of the MN, fired a group of journalists on whom the ideational, moral and professional air of the periodical had depended. He did that in a harsh manner, and did not warn them," says the council.
