Kasyanov reveals Putin’s pursuit of tycoon

Article reports that Mikhail Kasyanov, a former Russian Prime Minister, disclosed for the first time in July 2009 details of a closed-door conversation he claims he had with Vladimir Putin in 2003 which the then President revealed political motives for the state’s legal pursuit of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the jailed former Yukos tycoon.

Mr Kasyanov’s statement could add weight to Mr Khodorkovsky’s appeal against the Russian government in the European Court of Human Rights claiming that his arrest in 2003 was politically motivated.

ESO: Background information: The Quality of Freedom. Khodorkovsky, Putin and the Yukos Affair http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-quality-of-freedom-khodorkovsky-putin-and-the-yukos-affair/

Website: European Court of Human Rights http://www.echr.coe.int/

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