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Obama feels Khodorkovsky’s release “a positive step”

U.S. President certainly welcomes this effort to address not just the case of Mr. Khodorkovsky, but a number of other cases with Russia

© EPA/Ron Sachs

WASHINGTON, December 21, (ITAR-TASS). U.S. President Barack Obama was learned about the release of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and he felt it was a positive step, President Barack Obama’s key foreign policy adviser, Ben Rhodes, said in an exclusive interview to Itar-Tass.

“He (Obama) certainly welcomes this effort to address not just the case of Mr. Khodorkovsky, but a number of other cases with Russia,” he said.

“We continue to be concerned about any selective justice within Russia,” Rhodes said, expressing hope that “this step can be the beginning of an effort to ensure equal justice and to avoid the impression of politically motivated prosecution.”

“So it’s a welcome step. It’s one that the President certainly took note of today,” Rhodes said without specifying what Obama’s personal reaction was.

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