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Khodorkovsky says he will fight for rights of political inmates in Russia

BERLIN, December 22, 17:57 /ITAR-TASS/. Pardoned oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky confirmed at a news conference in Berlin on Sunday that he would fight for rights of political prisoners in Russia.

“Don’t think I symbolize an absence of political inmates any longer. I will be doing all to see we don’t have them any longer, doing all that depends on me,” he said.

Khodorkovsky said he would not advise western politicians as to how to communicate with President Vladimir Putin. “It would be too arrogant on my part to advise experienced western politicians how to behave in communicating with the president of my country, a person who is anything but simple,” he said. “I won’t be doing that,” he added.

At the same time he expressed hope that “in communication with President Putin western politicians will keep it in mind that I am not the last political prisoner in the Russian Federation”.

He also wished an early release for Ukrainian former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko. “I hope very much that President Yanukovich, who has been often communicating with the president of my country of late, will follow his example in that local issue (concerning political prisoners) and will set at least one person free,” Khodorkovsky said.