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I thought they're about to canonize him at the end of the article :) I really feel for the guy. He took the stand, went to jail - but he's far from a "prisoner

by znowi 13y ago

I thought they're about to canonize him at the end of the article :) I really feel for the guy. He took the stand, went to jail - but he's far from a "prisoner of conscience". Many high profile criminals use dislike of Mr Putin in the west as a safe getaway from Russia. They commonly claim that Putin is after them and they're the opposition. One case in point is Andrey Borodin - former president of a major bank in Russia. He made multiple billion dollar loans to himself through affiliated fly-by-night firms in the offshore. When he was caught, he fled to the UK and suddenly turned opposition overnight. Eventually granted an asylum and lives happily in Oxfordshire in his newly acquired 140 million pounds mansion. This happened in 2011. In the 90s, when Khodorkovsky operated, things were a lot less clean. He got nabbed. Many others found a way to avoid imprisonment. A lot of them now are "respectable" businessmen ranked high up in the Forbes list.

dfkf 13y ago
Yes, Borodin is an excellent example. Never participated in politics in any form or shape. Set a new record for the most expensive house ever sold in Britain. Verdict? Victim of political persecution by evil Putin the mobster/warlord/thug/KayGeBee/whatever...
mc32 13y ago
The thing is in the 90s everyone (oligarchs) was playing below board. But Putin only targeted (for prosecution) people who opposed him (or were potential threats). People who were willing to subjugate to him, of course, didn't face charges. I'd rather you not try to compare Borodin with Khodorkovsky. It diverts from the discussion the strongarming politics in Russia.
- menato 13y ago
  Khodorkovsky was prosecuted partly for his ambitions to move to politics.
- bostik 13y ago
  > But Putin only targeted (for prosecution) people who opposed him (or were potential threats). Which is why I express my cynicism at the timing of Khodorkovsky's pardon. There must be a reason for letting him out now, so I can not help but think that Putin wanted to remind someone (or many someones) what he can do to politically inconvenient opponents. The beauty, if one can use such a word in this context, is that the reminder comes in a form of letting a person out of the prison. So much more convenient.

by znowi 13y ago

dfkf 13y ago

Yes, Borodin is an excellent example. Never participated in politics in any form or shape. Set a new record for the most expensive house ever sold in Britain. Verdict? Victim of political persecution by evil Putin the mobster/warlord/thug/KayGeBee/whatever...

mc32 13y ago

The thing is in the 90s everyone (oligarchs) was playing below board. But Putin only targeted (for prosecution) people who opposed him (or were potential threats). People who were willing to subjugate to him, of course, didn't face charges. I'd rather you not try to compare Borodin with Khodorkovsky. It diverts from the discussion the strongarming politics in Russia.

menato 13y ago
Khodorkovsky was prosecuted partly for his ambitions to move to politics.
bostik 13y ago
> But Putin only targeted (for prosecution) people who opposed him (or were potential threats). Which is why I express my cynicism at the timing of Khodorkovsky's pardon. There must be a reason for letting him out now, so I can not help but think that Putin wanted to remind someone (or many someones) what he can do to politically inconvenient opponents. The beauty, if one can use such a word in this context, is that the reminder comes in a form of letting a person out of the prison. So much more convenient.