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Journalism of Courage
By freeing jailed tycoon Khodorkovsky,Russian President Putin demonstrates just who is in charge.
In a surprise move last week,Russian President Vladimir Putin set free the countrys most prominent political prisoner,former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky,after more than a decade spent behind bars. Khodorkovsky was once head of the Yukos oil corporation,the richest man in Russia and a determined political rival to Putin. While Putin was consolidating power,Khodorkovsky used his influence and money to support opposition groups,even mounting what,at the time,appeared to be a credible challenge to Putins re-election campaign in 2002. Now,the timing of the clemency grant is been seen as an indicator of Putins confidence in his absolute control over the Russian political apparatus,as also an attempt to portray a more conciliatory image to the world ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi early in 2014.
A string of political successes have consolidated Putins power. Through 2013,Putin outmanoeuvred the West in the diplomatic duel over Syria,adroitly managed the Edward Snowden asylum situation and just last week opened up his coffers to Ukraine to stanch its ambitions to seek closer ties with the European Union. Now,Khodorkovskys release is an assertion of Putins ability to wield absolute executive and legislative power a signal that he can punish and pardon at will.
