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State Duma holds Putin acts wisely and humanely, intending to pardon Khodorkovsky

MOSCOW, December 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin acts wisely, humanely and fairly, intending to sign the decree on pardoning the ex-CEO of YUKOS company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, deputies of the State Duma hold.

The president’s decision to this effect will help improve the image of the Russian authorities and remove one of main irritants for the West, Mikhail Yemelyanov, the deputy head of the Just Russia faction in the State Duma, told Itar-Tass. He believes, however, that from the viewpoint of the domestic political situation Khodorkovsky’s pardon is not of much importance. “There are several opposition leaders after the protests in the Bolotnaya square. Nothing will change with Khodorkovsky’s release. What is another more or less? This is of no cardinal importance,” he said.

At the same time, Yemelyanov described Putin’s statement as a sensation. “Not many expected this. It is an act of humanism,” he said.

Yaroslav Nilov, deputy from the LDPR, chairman of the Committee for Public Associations and Religious Organisations, goes along with this. “This is wise, fair and humane,” he told Itar-Tass. “The president’s decision is in line with the tendency of mercy and humanist observed in Russian society of late,” Nilov holds.

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