July 8, 2010 In the eyes of Russian leaders, he is a corporate criminal. Outside observers say he’s a victim, and a symbol of everything wrong in Russia.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, 47, was once Russia’s richest man, an oil tycoon whose wealth and influence caught the eye of Russia’s political elite.
The question is: Did that land him in jail?
Khodorkovsky, once in charge of the Russian oil behemoth Yukos, was arrested by the government in 2003 on charges of tax evasion. He was sentenced in 2005 to nine years in prison, a sentence later reduced to eight years. He has spent the past few years in a harsh Siberian prison camp, a modern-day gulag.
“You have to see Russia beyond the window dressing, the Russia where a political opponent can be sent to prison for many years and his property taken from him.”
– Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Now, he faces new charges. He and a former business partner are accused of stealing billions of dollars — not to mention 350 million tons of crude oil — from Yukos. A conviction could mean a 22-year sentence.
I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?
And you et an account on Twitter?