Putin promises to pardon Khodorkovsky

The ex- head of YUKOS, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has filed a petition for clemency. President Vladimir Putin has promised to sign it, the Russian president stated at a press conference today.

"Mikhail Borisovich was to write an appropriate paper in accordance with the law, but he did not do it, but recently he wrote a paper and asked me for pardon. He has spent more than 10 years in detention, a severe punishment, and he refers to circumstances of a humanitarian nature, his mother is sick, and I believe that we can make a decision. A decree to pardon him will be signed soon," the head of state told reporters.

At the same time, Khodorkovsky 's lawyer, Vadim Klyuvgant, said that he knew nothing about the petition and doubts that it was. Without the pardon, the former CEO of YUKOS is scheduled to be released in August next year.

At a press conference in the Kremlin, Putin also said that he sees no prospects in the "third case of YUKOS." We are talking about information that investigators have claimed against a former businessman who can be threaten a new term.

The most famous political prisoner of Russia, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was detained in October 2003, and charged with tax evasion. Two years later, the former oligarch was sent to prison, and his company was divided and sold. In 2008, a new charge was put against Khodorkovsky regarding the legalization of 450 billion rubles and $ 7.5 billion in the period from 1998 to 2004. In December 2010, Moscow court convicted him again, and increased the sentence to 14 years, but later agreed to reduce this period. -02D-