The trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky--former CEO of the YUKOS oil company and Russia’s richest man--begins this month in Moscow. Part of a broader, yearlong judicial assault by the Russian government on YUKOS, Russia’s largest oil exporter, the Khodorkovsky case is certain to have repercussions far beyond the courtroom--foremost in its impact on Russia’s politics and economy.

Will the Khodorkovsky trial be conducted consistent with the rule of law and Russia’s newly reformed criminal justice system--or will it degenerate into a show trial stage-managed by the Kremlin? What is the political agenda of those prosecuting the case? What will be the implications of the proceedings for foreign investment and financial markets in Russia? How will the “YUKOS affair” end for Khodorkovsky and his former company?

These and other questions will be the subject of an AEI luncheon discussion on Wednesday, June 30. Speakers include Leon Aron, director of Russian studies at AEI; Randy Bregman, an international lawyer and partner at Salans, responsible for the firm’s Russia practice; Nikolas Gvosdev, senior fellow in strategic studies at the Nixon Center; Ian Hague, cofounder and lead manager of Firebird Management LLC; and the Honorable Stephen F. Williams, senior circuit court judge on the D.C. Court of Appeals.