

Khodorkovsky freed from prison after Putin pardon - r0h1n
http://on.ft.com/1gKb0vF

======
r0h1n
_> > Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's most famous prisoner, is now a free man.

>> The former oil tycoon, who spent more than a decade behind bars, left the
Segezha prison colony on Friday morning, Russia's federal penitentiary system
reported, hours after President Vladimir Putin signed a decree authorising Mr
Khodorkovsky's release., the FT's Courtney Weaver has confirmed.

>> In the two-sentence decree, Mr Putin said his decision to grant Mr
Khodorkovsky clemency was "guided by the principles of humanity". The decree
did not say whether the pardon had been conditional on Mr Khodorkovsky
admitting guilt.

>> Once Russia's richest man, Mr Khodorkovsky was arrested in 2003 on
allegations of tax evasion and fraud at his oil company Yukos, yet his arrest
was widely seen as politically motivated as it came soon after he challenged
Mr Putin over top-level corruption.

>> Full story to come on ft.com_

