Mikhail Khodorkovsky is expected to be released soon, the Russian president told reporters after the press conference marathon he held on December 19.
According to the Kremlin, Khodorkovsky sent him a clemency request that will be satisfied.
The former chief of the Yukos oil company was arrested in 2003 and convicted of tax evasion, fraud and other charges in two trials – in 2005 and 2010.
Many have viewed the prosecution as a political one.
The Yukos case was negatively perceived by the domestic business community and has damaged Russia’s reputation abroad.
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Sources: http://www.vedomosti.ru
Author: Mikhail Vesely