An example to all?

Fallen · Feb 11, 2016

Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky is[was] an exiled Russian philanthropist and public figure who was a businessman and oligarch in Russia. He is also an author and previously a columnist.

In 2003, Khodorkovsky was believed to be the wealthiest man in Russia (with a fortune estimated to be worth $15 billion) and was ranked 16th on Forbes list of billionaires. He had worked his way up the Komsomol apparatus during the Soviet years, and started several businesses during the period of glasnost and perestroika in the late 1980s. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in the mid-1990s, he accumulated considerable wealth through obtaining control of a series of Siberian oil fields unified under the name Yukos, one of the major companies to emerge from the privatization of state assets during the 1990s (a scheme known as "Loans for Shares").

In October 2003, he was arrested and charged with fraud. The government under Russian president Vladimir Putin then froze shares of Yukos shortly thereafter on tax charges. The state took further actions against Yukos, leading to a collapse of the company's share price and the evaporation of much of Khodorkovsky's wealth. In May 2005, he was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. In December 2010, while he was still serving his sentence, Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev were further charged with and found guilty of embezzlement and money laundering; Khodorkovsky's prison sentence was extended to 2014. After Hans-Dietrich Genscher lobbied for his release, President Vladimir Putin pardoned Khodorkovsky, releasing him from jail on 20 December 2013.

There was widespread concern internationally that the trials and sentencing were politically motivated. The trial was criticized abroad for the lack of due process. Khodorkovsky lodged several applications with the European Court of Human Rights, seeking redress for alleged violations by Russia of his human rights. In response to his first application, which concerned events from 2003 to 2005, the court found that several violations were committed by the Russian authorities in their treatment of Khodorkovsky. Despite these findings, the court ultimately ruled that the trial was not politically motivated, but rather "that the charges against him were grounded in 'reasonable suspicion'". He was considered to be a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.

Upon being pardoned by Putin and released from prison at the end of 2013, Khodorkovsky immediately left Russia and was granted residency in Switzerland. At the end of 2013, his personal estate was believed to be worth, as a rough estimate, $100250 million. At the end of 2014, he was said to be worth about $500 million, although he insisted that the sum was only $100 million.

In 2014, Khodorkovsky re-launched Open Russia to promote several reforms to Russian civil society, including free and fair elections, political education, protection of journalists and activists, endorsing the rule of law, and ensuring media independence.

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Why did Putin decide to release Khodorkovsky now?
(notice the smiles here)

Sochi Olympics, a PR stunt, a response to calls within society, or even a mistake: RT spoke with analysts to find out possible reasons behind Putins decision to pardon Khodorkovsky and its likely consequences.

In a surprise move, Russias President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he would sign a pardon for jailed former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The oil tycoon was arrested in 2003 and later sentenced to nine years behind bars on embezzlement and tax evasion charges. In 2010, in a second case against him, Khodorkovskys was found guilty of large-scale theft of oil and money laundering and his sentence was prolonged. The former tycoon's 11-year jail term officially expires in August 2014.

Response to demands in society
By signing Khodorkovskys petition on a pardon, President Putin possibly responded to calls from many high-ranking Russian officials as well as liberal intelligentsia, political analyst Dmitry Babich suggests.

Throughout the trial of the former Yukos CEO, many top-level officials gave testimony in support of Khodorkovsky, he told RT.

That was done by former Finance Minister Kudrin he was still the finance minister at the time. That was done by former Economic Development Minister German Gref, Babich recalled.

Also, there were a lot of people among the Russian liberal intelligentsia who asked Putin to pardon Khodorkovsky before his term expires, he went on. So, Putin sort of responded to their letters", Babich added.

The analyst believes that if Khodorkovsky had filed his petition earlier, it would not have been surprising if Putin supported it.

I absolutely dont buy the western theory that Putin is afraid of Khodorkovsky. I dont believe that Khodorkovsky could be a viable alternative for Putin at a presidential election, he said. Russian people remember how fortunes were made in the nineties and, certainly, the richest men of the nineties would not inspire sympathy in too many Russians maybe just in a limited circle of the richest Russians.

Concerns that fraudster, embezzler released early
Khodorkovsky has been in prison for a decade, but his crimes were quite enormous and it is unlikely that many right-minded people would see Russia in a better light upon his release, said Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster.

There are some people saying that this is all about Sochi, about the Olympics, about President Putin trying to improve the image of Russia abroad. But Im not sure if right-minded people might think that pardoning early a fraudster, an embezzler on a massive scale is actually going to see Russia in a better light, because most ordinary people around the world and Russians, of course, feel that Khodorkovsky got what he deserved, Clark told RT.

In his view, it took the tycoon ten years to finally ask for a pardon, because he relished the role of 'prisoner of conscience'.

Of course, he isn't a prisoner of conscience at all. Because he is a fraudster, he is an embezzler. But I think he relished this and he has become a sort of pin-up boy, if you like, for the western neocons and the Russophobes, Clark believes. If he had applied for a pardon earlier, it wouldn't have sort of gone along with the script that he was this wonderfully principled man who was in prison because of his political views, in prison by this evil president Putin who was this evil Stalinist dictator. So I think if he had applied, it wouldn't have gone along with this script, would it?

Putins decision was announced just a day after he signed an amnesty law, which will see the release of (*)(*)(*)(*)(*) Riot band members, who were handed jail time for their infamous punk prayer in Moscows Christ the Savior Cathedral. Charges against the Greenpeace activists, crewmembers of the Arctic Sunrise vessel will also be dropped. The so-called Arctic 30 were facing hooliganism charges after their protest at Russian giant Gazprom oil rig on the Barents Sea.

These people were protesters, they were principled protesters, whether you agree with them or not, they were actually protesting, Clark said, adding that he welcomed the news.

But Khodorkovsky was a different kettle of fish altogether. This man was part of a group of oligarchs who effectively stole billions of [dollars] from the Russian commonwealth in the 1990s, stole from the Russian people. This was probably one of the greatest financial crimes of the century. So, I think we cant see this as a part of a trend. There was widespread international concern about the Arctic 30. There isnt about Khodorkovsky. He is a fraudster. And I think that a lot of people will be concerned that he may be pardoned early, and that he's not going to see his full sentence out, even though we're only talking about a matter of months here.

Khodorkovsky pardon olive branch to Kremlin critics
It was Khodorkovskys decision to go up against Putin that resulted in him being sent to jail, said Ben Aris. When Putin came to power in 2000, he made a pragmatic deal with the oligarchs and told them to stop stealing, he said.

As it happened, most of the oligarchs said yes, he added. The issue has never been whether Khodorkovsky should go to jail; the issue has been why all the oligarchs didnt go to jail, Aris told RT.

Given that there was a fairly arbitrary decision to jail Khodorkovsky because they clashed politically, the decision to release him is equally arbitrary. Its not necessarily a question of rule of law and wrongs and rights everybody was stealing in the nineties. But it was Khodorkovksys decision to go up against Putin that landed him in jail.

By signing the amnesty bill and now pardoning Khodorkovsky, Putin is sending two messages: one to international community and another one to the domestic audience, the analyst thinks.

Internationally, the relations with the rest of the world have been deteriorating rapidly and are getting worse and worse. Perhaps, Putin with this is trying to put a stop to this or a marker to slow down the process and to hold out an olive branch to the rest of the world, he said.

Inside the country, the government has been criticized a lot over the state of rule of law. Following the 2011 parliamentary elections and then the presidential vote in 2012, there was a rising protest movement with many alleging election violations.

Given the events in Kiev in particular I think the Kremlin is acutely aware that they need to meet the opposition half-way or at least make some moves towards meeting their demands of a more responsible government, Aris said.

Letting Khodorkovsky out of jail is perhaps an olive branch to those people to say that the Kremlin is actually listening a bit closer to what the people want to see happen, he added.

Pardon is a mistake, will create another Berezovsky
It is unlikely that the release of Khodorkovsky would make any difference for investors, asset manager Eric Kraus said.

I dont think foreign investors care very much. I think foreign journalists care. But people who are actually investing in Russia have learned to discount very deeply what they read in the press, he said.

In Kraus opinion, the signing of the pardon was a mistake.

I think by freeing Khodorkovsky, they create another Berezovsky a multi-billionaire who is going to be conducting a campaign of denigration of Russia internationally, he said.

Geopolitical analyst F. William Engdahl thinks that the West will interpret the move as a sign of weakness.

First you have to understand the reason for the propaganda campaign on the gay rights issue, on the Khodorkovsky issue, on the (*)(*)(*)(*)(*) Riot issue, and so on. There are attempts to isolate Russia and weaken her while at the same time it justifies the so-called new Cold War with missile defense in Poland, the Czech Republic, Turkey, etc, he told RT. I think some people in the Kremlin and President Putin misunderstand the nature of Western propaganda. They will invent issues if they dont have them.

PR attempt ahead of Sochi Olympics
Mark Sleboda, senior lecturer and researcher in International Relations and Security Studies at Mocow State University, suggested that Vladimir Putins latest moves the amnesty and the pardoning of the former Yukos CEO are linked to the upcoming Winter Olympics that Russia will host in Sochi.

This is probably PR attempt by the Putin Administration ahead of the Olympics to engender some good press coverage, some good will towards Russia, he said. But also, I think to deflect a little bit of tension and anger away from the EU and the US over their recent losing of the bidding war over the Ukraine with Russia.
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(you could see his victory pose, Yeh!)

My take on this story so far is that Khodorkovsky was corrupt and did all those things. It is a well known and observed fact that Oligarchs were extremely corrupt and dealt with the mob and multiple occasions, In fact, like the analyst said, it's a wonder that all the oligarchs didn't get arrested.

But the situation in Russia is unique. On one end, you have the Oligarchs. They hey little real political power, but they held all the money. Putin understood that even though the evidence gathered unmistakably hold all the oligarch in contempt of something similar to treason, in his current position, he couldn't do much about it. That's partly why he let Khodorkovsky go; because the real crime will stay unpunished. Oligarchs understood where they stood and backed off, letting Putin do his own thing as he gathers more and more support. And he did just that while Khodorkovsky was in jail. So for a while, there was an understanding between oligarchs and Putin.Then Khodorkovsky got too big for his pants.When Khodorkovsky was pardoned, he did something extremely foolish.

[video=youtube;1CirqVGyt3g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CirqVGyt3g[/video]

As if openly criticizing Putin wasn't bad enough; he tried to form an opposition to Putin. I could just hear Putin yelling in the background. "You idiot!.."

This time, with enough time, Khodorkovsky could really compromise Putin's position. Putin had the Oligarchs by the balls and they knew it. The evidence against them is undeniable. But now, Khodorkovsky threatened to rally the Oligarchs "with a European mid"(I think that's the phrase he used in the video) behind him.
.
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The same year, two days before Christmas we get this

Khodorkovsky arrested in absentia, put on international wanted list Russian investigators

The former head of the Yukos Oil Company Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been arrested in absentia and is wanted internationally, chief spokesman for Russias Investigative Committee told reporters on Wednesday.
Vladimir Markin also said the former oligarch is suspected of conspiracy to murder two or more people a crime that can carry a life sentence in Russia. The spokesman added that Khodorkovsky had been officially charged in the criminal case that was opened after the murder of Vladimir Petukhov the mayor of the Siberian city of Neftyugansk who came into conflict with Yukos stakeholders and managers and was killed on June 26, 1998 - Khodorkovskys birthday.

Five primary suspects, including Yukos co-owner Leonid Nevzlin and head of Yukos security department Aleksey Pichugin have already been tried and sentenced, but the probe into their crimes continued until 2015 because investigators wanted to reveal their accomplices and primarily who ordered the hits.

In June, the Investigative Committee spokesperson announced the agency had reopened the Petukhov murder case in order to re-examine Khodorkovskys part in it. In August, investigators attempted to question Khodorkovskys father, but he refused to talk to them, quoting the part of the Constitution that allows Russian citizens not to testify against themselves or their close relatives.

READ MORE: Investigators press murder conspiracy charges against Khodorkovsky

(he looks extremily sad now)

Early this month, the Investigative Committee summoned Khodorkovsky for questioning as a suspect in Petukhovs assassination. The ex-tycoon who currently resides in Switzerland called the law enforcers fresh move a boring attempt to change the subject. He also assured his readers that he had no intention of meeting with investigators.

Russias Investigative Committee has charged former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky with ordering the assassination of a Siberian city mayor, as well as two other hits that were unsuccessful.
The charges were pressed in absentia as the former Khodorkovsky no longer lives in Russia and refused to appear before investigators.

Spokesman for the Investigative Committee, Vladimir Markin, told reporters on Friday that Khodorkovsky is suspected of putting out a contract on Vladimir Petukhov, the mayor of Neftyugansk and his bodyguard Vyacheslav Kokoshkin. The former boss of Yukos is also suspected of ordering attempted hits on Yevgeniy Rybin, the chief of East Petroleum. Petukhov was killed in 1998 and Kokoshkin was wounded in the attack. Rybin survived two assassination attempts in 1998 and 1999, but his bodyguard and two other people were killed.
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Ohh...you knew?

You know...I was kidding when I said all those things. Yeh! It was a joke...

......

You're internationally wanted(Russian accent)

Interpol issues search notice for Khodorkovsky Russian agency

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This will no doubt make the other Oligarchs crawl in a corner somewhere. While he certainly will serve an example for others like him, what do you guys think? Do you think that the charges against him are valid?

I think they were. Putin just let him go because he was more valuable free at that time. But to challenge him after he was shown "mercy"?, well I think Putin took offense to that.

In my mind, this is political, but at the same time he was a criminal.

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An example to all?

Fallen Well-Known Member

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