Russian President Dmitry Medvedev vowed on Thursday to develop a set of measures to combat corruption in the country's courts.
"I will outline a mechanism that will help control the situation inside the court system by correct, constitutional methods," Medvedev said during a meeting with members of the Russian Public Chamber, a state-appointed consultative body that advises the government on civic issues.
"All in all, the government, society and the courts themselves are to blame for the current situation. We should take steps to help the courts gain their proper place in our system of values," Medvedev said.
"We should do our best to make the courts become as much as possible independent from the authorities and at the same time to absolutely depend on society," the president said.
Medvedev has long championed the importance of independent courts in Russia, but little has changed since he became president in May 2008 pledging to fight corruption.
The conviction of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky in December was widely criticized by rights activists and western governments as an indictment of the Russian justice system. Supporters of the businessman said the charges against him were politically motivated, an accusation denied by the Russian authorities.
GORKI, January 20 (RIA Novosti)
