by the mid nineteen nineties mechanic audit kosky has built an empire. it's not much of russia's oil production from the russian state which was setting off key assets. using his own bank. when it comes to gain control of the yukos oil company for the bargain price of three hundred million dollars. the deals to control the sea water kosky kept times times with the crime and even sent as a deputy minister under president boris yeltsin. on the corner kosky successful leadership fuel costs and a name as one of russia's most transparent and well run company is backed by international investors. it became one of the country's largest oil producers. but that soon changed when the demand putin became president in two thousand and three quarter kosky found themselves at the center of an investigation into yukos is tax cuts. he was arrested on charges of tax fraud and in two thousand and five he was sentenced to nine years in prison. he later yukos filed for bankruptcy. yukos has broken up the government sold off its core assets including oil fields and refinerie

former russian oil tycoon in a california kosky says he wants to do something for political prisoners in a rush at the fonda president the now defunct eucharist oil company was released from jail last friday he said more than ten years behind buys for tax evasion and other titles. nevada could say hi to his political nemesis last week. cos he spoke to reporters on sunday in berlin germany where he was reunited with his family. it was his first appearance since being released to express is intended to remain in germany for now. the new cars go back to was havin a guarantee of satire been evident in the country there kosky said he wouldn't get involved in russian politics he said western governments should win and that he's not the last political prisoner in my shack and he vowed to help the as he left behind while in prison but of coz he wrote articles for newspapers and other media that were highly critical of it and i may speak was fun and the islands as attention is now focused on whether quota kosky will keep his word and stay away from politics. what is and now fall at the center

breaking news on our c m a holder koskie walks free from prison after president putin signs a pardon on will take cold humanitarian principles. at this hour of the market credit agency standard and poor's because the european union's long term raising due to a lack of solidarity among the twenty eight member states also. is. the idea that the people don't deserve our system of those people come out with. a wiki leaks associate and co-producer of a movie would chose just how hard it can be for whistleblowers to get the truth in print. plus syria's embattled kurds take their ambitions for autonomy to a new level demanding a seat at next month's international peace talks in switzerland. this is all she international coming to life from moscow and welcome to the program after a decade of incarceration. is free his lawyer says russia's most high profile prisoner has left jail presence and human person signed a pardon for the former oil tycoon following a personal plea for amnesty let's get the latest from this kind of live in. some new developments hugo please bring us up to date. well ri

behind bars and he is ready to sign all the necessary papers to wed in three you don't know who the kosky recently wrote a petition asking me to pardon him but he spent more than ten years in prison this is a serious punishment he cites humanitarian reasons saying his mother is sick i believe taking jew account of all the circumstances it's possible to take a respective decision and in the near future i will sign a decree to pardon him artie's managed to reach. the mother by phone let's listen to what she had to say that really was. the news came absolutely out of the blue last time i spoke with him was back in august and he didn't show any intention of filing a petition i totally support any decision of his he needs to be set free his children and even grandchildren grew up without him because of course he used to be among the wealthiest people in the world and the more the most influential in russia until he was arrested back in two thousand and three charged and found guilty of fraud and then in a second case was found guilty of money laundering and in turn this latest announcement fro

think it got anything to do with nobody it was going to stay away from salt because of vista holder koskie being in prison i think the first point to make is that he is guilty and i i want to say that because this constant attempts to say that he was a political prisoner there's been six or seven decisions by the european court of human rights i've lost count how many there are which is said unequivocally that mr holder koskie is guilty of massive tax evasion on a simply enormous scale now he has been punished he's been in prison for that for ten years what what has changed the situation and has led to his release is that mr holder koskie did what he had previously consistently said he would not do and that is that he wrote a letter to mr putin asking for a pardon so i don't personally see that there's any compelling reason to keep him in prison or longer. and we are closely following the latest developments in the story of his footage from outside the five star hotel in the coffee is believed to be staying a team from marty's video agency rep police watching the scene and feeding us the l

delivered this interview to german television in which he said speaking on behalf of his daughter koskie that he was grateful to the mercy of russian president vladimir putin for releasing pardoning. on these humanitarian grounds which saw him set free from jail now. in terms of he was russia's richest man one of russia's richest men. in the past we don't know anything about it called ski's current wealth however he clearly still has friends in very high places in order to allow him to travel in such a way and stay where he is but if he does come out of here we are expecting him to at some point in the coming hours that we'll be bringing you right here in our ok thank you please let's cross to live in france who's in moscow for us who are family are expected and they join him in berlin shortly yes indeed they are in fact german media is reporting that marina. had been burned when which was a reason that khodorkovsky had wanted to fly there soon as possible in fact she has as far as we know at this point is still at her home just outside of moscow now she had recently sought cancer treatm

following his parting after a decade in prison under kosky said however he had no interest in taking a political role in direction and that's the struggle for power was not for him. speaking at berlin's wa museum kosky said he was grateful so many had pressure is released during his ten years in a prison camp near the arctic circle but then many more were still imprisoned. the former tycoon said he would do his utmost to help political prisoners in russia and abroad. he russian president vladimir putin said unexpectedly last week that he would pardon the cops kyi who has been in jail on fraud and tax evasion charges since he was arrested two thousand and three when the cops keep formally russia's richest man who had funded some of russia's opposition was seen by many as a political prisoner. meek ideal for the crops he said there were no conditions attached to his release and that he had made no admission of guilt in asking to do for a pardon but sad that he would not return to russia for fear of not being able to leave again. egyptian court has sentenced three leading secular activi

the kosky had to be reviewed moved by the country's highest court could lead to previous sentences being overturned we'll bring you up to speed on that this hour. kevin with very good evening to you our top story hellfire missiles drones and fighter jets the iraqi military's about to get an upgrade from the united states the lethal aid is meant to help baghdad fight al qaeda linked groups who are gaining territory both in iraq and crucially in syria to get i should you can report. the iraqi prime minister asked for help because al qaeda is not just active in iraq but it's gaining territory to an extent that they're talking about in the islamic state the us is now rushing dozens of hellfire missiles and surveillance drones to the iraqi government to combat this jihad is the insurgency there the cia is also reportedly helping them with par gets inside iraq but al qaeda is gaining momentum in iraq largely because they've been able to establish a strong food hold in the neighboring syria so you have let's say a jihadi group called the state of iraq and live beyond controlling territory both

pardoned russian acts tycoon at me what of koskie has been all over the headlines in recent weeks as the media retells his story a murder case back from the one nine hundred ninety s. comes in to light that of blood he made a pretzel haul of the assassinated mayor of the russian town where holder cough ski's oil company was registered while the former mogul continues to deny any link to the murder but two hobs widow paints a different picture. in the spite the fact that hunter kosky has escaped responsibility on those counts i'm convinced he's behind my husband's murder. why do you think the hoof was shot dead on his way to work with the whole of. he walked to work and he usually did and was shot he died from the last shot and the temple. it just was the if you got his mind every game tightly wound with one of the most notorious legal sagas of the last shot you can skate from nineteen eighty five they were junkies news to you q guns and they've taxes to the city and the region if they're welcomed by the us was registered there so when it came to tax revenues it was answering to the m

stop stories and the wicket of evidence this is the weekly one auntie pics of what may become put kosky says he has no interest in pursuing politics will be involved in business he still does for its major news conference in the german capital when the fruit directly off to be released from jail to ten years the pretoria but is in it celtic healthy and fit into the press conference in a whirlwind of media hype into a room packed to the rafters with journalists many of whom were congratulating him on these releases a political prisoner. however there is a novice i need to be you cole saga long. it's not often that the three of the tay nguyen is that some of the capital calls his comments after his release and re selling brown's new book is new. some of my comrades remain in jail. they are my fellow sufferers. for example my friend plaque on whether the alleged secret russian history. there are still other political prisoners in russia not only bills related to the yukos case mccain i am free now and i'm asking you to think of it as something which symbolizes the efforts of civil society

think it got anything to do with nobody was going to stay away from sochi because of vista holder koskie being imprisoned i think the first point to make is that he is guilty and i i want to say that because this constant attempts to say that he was a political prisoner there's been six or seven decisions by the european court of human rights i've lost count how many there are which is said unequivocally that mr holder cos he is guilty of massive tax evasion on a simply enormous scale now he has been punished he's been in prison for that for ten years what has changed the situation and has led to his release is that mr holder koskie did what he had previously consistently said he would not do and that is that he wrote a letter to mr putin asking for a pardon. and of course throughout the day will be closely following the developments in this story these are incidentally life pictures from outside horticulture hotel waiting to see if he will emerge eventually into the daylight and when he does of course we'll bring it straight to you. eight and a half trillion dollars that is the figure h

despite the fact hundred kosky has escaped responsibility on those counts. i'm convinced he's behind my husband my wall the fourth was shot dead on his way to work. the whole thing is that we are fallen he walked to work and he usually did and was shocked as he died from the last count. in the temple. if you've got a schism rereading probably won't lose one of the most notorious legal sagas of the action the yukos case. from nineteen eighty five the orange on his face the new q khan's in the texas to the city and the region. the combined u s was registered and delinquent tax revenues. he was answering can email me if you guys can redeem him a call from a depended on him and that was the only reason why he even has it. this is her late husband does the mayor of the town. lucas was registered. i was approached by a top managers of the company lucrative offer the state offered to reach an agreement on a cold and optimization of taxes. next the production reached about seventy million tonnes of oil easy and they said it was too n tonnes to be more than enough th

anyway and the political goal that you're alluding to would have been achieved anyway so why what of koskie well first of all most political who might be kidding because if you look into the amnesty it seems to be the call soviet toil traditional kind of an amnesty. vulnerable groups of prisoners pregnant women elderly people minors women with small children and so on and so forth and none of the last moment there is a month on chew include into the amnesty a specific list such crimes those who goodness them and most wrote it and i would like to stay on for just one more question he is in prison imprisonment had a symbolic value it was always presented as sort of reflection of how bad the human rights to sion in russia supposedly was i wonder if you attach the same symbolism to his release doesn't mean that let's say political climate then because maybe changing simply because he is being set free while human rights watch is an organization never said the case of other symbolizes everything that's wrong with human rights in russia in the uk quite to the opposite. it's a very last rites of c

some of them and that does this by the fact that hunter kosky has escape responsibility on those counts i'm convinced he's behind my husband's murder. when you put the hoof was shot dead on his way to work with the whole thing is to put your profile that he walked to work and he usually did and was shot he died from the last shot in the temple. it just was the if you got his murder we came tightly wound with one of the most notorious legal sagas of the twentieth century russia because kids from nine to ninety five they were junkies face to you q guns and they taxes to the city and the region. by the us was registered then so when it came to tax revenues it was answering to the mayor next to your guns with the hope they depended on him and that was the only reason why he even mattered how did they insist her late husband as a mayor of the town because he was registered was approached by top managers of the company because i. first offered to reach an agreement so he called it a limitation of taxes back then a production reached about seventy million tonnes of oil here they said there was

court of human rights i've lost count how many there are which is said unequivocally that mr holder koskie is guilty of massive tax evasion on a simply enormous scale now he has been punished he's been in prison for that for ten years what what has changed the situation and has led to his release is that mr holder koskie did what he had previously consistently said he would not do and that is that he wrote a letter to mr putin asking for a pardon so i don't personally see that there's any compelling reason to keep him in prison or longer. but of course we are following closely the latest developments in the story is footage from outside the five star hotel in berlin where were the course is believed to be staying a team from marty's video agency ruptly is watching the scene and feeding us the latest pictures. in the half a trillion dollars that's the figure handed by the u.s. congress to the defense department since nine hundred ninety six and it's remained unaccounted for ever since despite the organization having some of the most sophisticated military hardware in the world it still reli

now on former russian oligarch kosky may be out of prison but some of those who remember how his company fod its way to the top say it left plenty of victims along the way we talked to the widow of one of them in just a few minutes. jamie diamond is a guy who's begging to be euthanized and i think as a country is a world we should get together and answer his wish he wants to become one with his maker he says look i broke the law please arrest me i want to go to jail and be abused by hundreds of thousands of inmates and some on the godly way that's my goal in life i'm tired of being free put me in prison i beg you so he breaks more and more laws but unfortunately the law breaking becomes the basis of the g.d.p. for a country of qatar person like america and they can't put him in jail because i need him out there breaking the law so they can pay themselves huge bonuses at the end of the year so he's really is an existential crisis. right on the scene. first for you and i were being put. on our reporter's twitter. and instagram. to be in the. welcome back this is our t. international the u.

so if claire kosky and one that says free dummy parties' anything now week brings us up to speed. he may well be one of the most well known prisoners in the war. but the idea of a pardon for former russian tycoon the failed because she was unexpected to say the least a four hour queue and am not one question about hockey and end dates. you don't know what the cost. he recently wrote a petition hosking need to call the chamber in the spindle detainees in prisons. this is a serious punishment. he cites humanitarian reasons saying his mother is sick too. and really take into account all the circumstances. it's possible that i can respect that decision. and in the near future i will sign a decree to pardon him the former ceo and founder of the oil company hugo's built a fortune that made him russia's richest man after the collapse of the soviet union. snapping up state assets at a bargain price often dubious circumstances cos he fall from grace began in october two thousand and three when he was arrested on charges of fraud and tax evasion. he and his business partner told david that

i just like other kosky to confess and today his conscience toothpaste labeled. you know school o teacher is awesome the conclusion that in relation to restore economic links on a website said auntie jo comb pangs of conscience false american professor of design the story is these admit to that of evolution the aids vaccine which cost him a multi million dollar ground won't in fact bring me for those suffering real one but not too hot to go cold. i didn't follo the ocean's most for any shoes for that to a place to find out what's alien scientists to come up with to keep swimmers from the frail welcome shopping center. on our website. like so but the russian ship has been caught in the antarctic after christmas for the australian scientific expedition on bold latest is that it went to subway for help. the vessel academic chappelle speak of stock in thick ice on tuesday to ice break is a chinese ship on a french vessel before the bomb failed in the rescue mission that attend but now wants to be in pain gone astray the machine which are musical the best chums of rea

been koski has already talking about other prisoners held in russia and in particular his former partner. concerns there, i suppose. don't forget, he is not a human rights campaigner. he is a former oligarch. his business interests may be as what het in deciding does next as any political motivations he's got. >> what options does he have now? >> the signs are that he is going to remain in germany for a while. as we mentioned, his mother is receiving medical treatment here. there have been some suggestions he might go to switzerland. one thing i think you certainly won't do was go to russia, although the russian authorities have said he is perfectly welcome to come back at any time. i think there is a threat of a potential third trial against them if you should decide to go there. we will have to wait and see what he says in his press conference tomorrow and then we will know a lot more. >> simon young, thanks for joining us. let's have a look at today's other top stories. the pentagon says for u.s. troops were wounded in south sudan when gunmen fired on their aircraft in a mission to ev

and then they included kosky was re united with his elderly parents. once russia's richest man be fully yukos oil baron has always contested the charges of tax evasion which put him behind bars for decades. this occurring at an all out ethnic civil war in south saddam's forces loyal to the former vice president rick nash of abc's the main safety of the key oil producing region and the reports of summary executions of the opposition held areas. government troops are searching for myself. yet when it was good. use the boat and on that night and ended up in heaven. it is going to the dump and then winning the twenty two when he gets into the night before yet the government institutions. chee own goal and for the presence of the can says he still controls the country's crucial oil fields. but that's of little comfort to the sixty thousand or more who fed them and submit to escalate to finance the un is providing shelter and assistance to as many as possible. she's bred heavy cream to go up to present here and others backing his formative pt last week. as m

a newly freed me hi-lo koskie will dedicate himself to helping what he calls political prisoners the man who until very recently was russia's most high profiled inmate says he wants to pay back his debts to the people who are still incarcerated but as artie's peter oliver reports their cases have little to do with politics. after ten years in jail. has now decided will do is need found freedom and some of those plans have caused a few raised eyebrows. some of my comrades remain in jail they are my fellow sufferers for example my friend platon lebedev alexei protrusion says there are still other political prisoners in russia not only those related to the u. cos case i am free now and i'm asking you to think of it as something which symbolizes that the efforts of civil society can lead to the release of some people who no one thought would be able to walk free to chew good was the head of security for his daughter coasties oil company you cos he's currently serving a life sentence for five counts of murder. in two thousand and seven a court convicted goodnow of ordering the shooting of

really need is immediately nomic to goldman they need jobs here a future the future of a hail holder koskie has been the number one topic in the foreign media since the former russian oil tycoon walked free following a presidential pardon from holder of course case plans to fight for his imprisoned congress to putin's reasons for letting him out of jail the five day says the exxon accounts release has been full of speculation and analysis and marcus papadopoulos from the u.k. magazine politics first has been following the media hype and explain to us why have things what are called being glorified in the west. if we. had done what he had done in russia but say in britain where i live he would have been frightened into jail there would have been see from the british major i'm quite lightly as well rico could of course kate is a criminal but he served his time and in fact swapped a justice system is a pow but it's important to remember about. his company you cos it was built on the back of the pain and suffering of the russian people he is not this innocent in the future with this in the same

by the former oil magnate male how to kosky says now that he has been freed from jail he is determined to fight the cause of his imprisoned acts colleagues paid all of her looks at one of the people the former chief is vowing to found. after ten years in jail modest skeezers now decided to do is need found freedom and some of those plans have caused a few raised eyebrows. some of my comrades remain in jail they are my fellow sufferers for example my friend platon lebedev alexei protrusion there are still other political prisoners in russia not only those related to the u. cos case i am free now and i'm asking you to think of it as something which symbolizes that the efforts of civil society can lead to the release of some people who no one thought would be able to walk free but to good was the head of security for his daughter called these oil company you cos he's currently serving a life sentence for five counts of murder. in two thousand and seven a court convicted ordering the shooting of blood in me a pet you call the mayor of a town in siberia bet you call four hundred clashed wit

and they'll be plenty more news on the calcutta koskie throughout the day with analysis both here on r.t. and on our website dot com. news now suicide bomb attack on a primary school in syria has reportedly killed several children is the latest atrocity off the dozens of civilians were apparently massacred earlier this week by radical islamist rebels government forces expose the killings after taking back parts of the town of andhra arabic channel went to talk to eyewitnesses terror still fills the hearts of those who witnessed the militants entering the town about drugs they saw panicked disoriented people running for their lives and they ran themselves they will never forget the despair in the eyes of those who were forced to stay behind we have no reliable way to communicate with people trapped inside out but officials are saying the atrocities against the civilian population are continuing how people are being tortured and even burned alive and every bit of news coming out of the town is due in a new blow to those whose bama leaves are still being held by the militants and everyo

and spite the fact that hunter kosky has escaped responsibility on those counts i'm convinced he's behind my husband's murder. that minute the hoof was shot dead on his way to work but the reporter profile that he walked to work and he usually did and was shot he died from the last challenge and the temple. so you just how clearly if you got his money every game tightly wound with one of the most notorious legal saw goes a long shot you can skip the mining giant you feel if you don't evade taxes to the city and the region if they let them buy new cars was registered then when it came to tax revenues that it was answering to the mayodan if you guns can use that argument with the whole field they depended on them and that was the only reason why he even mastered chad how did i insist her late husband as a mayor of the town was doing i was approached by top managers and promptly i knew that i was their offer to write an agreement for them so he called an organization of taxes back then a production reached about seventy million tonnes of oil here they said there was too much but the and seve

who's a historian from oxford university thinks that's not enough to change the perception of color koskie in the west. but fortunately the western human rights groups seem to have rather constructs themselves. the interest of only dogs for the rights of all the gods whether it's rush or commission can ukraine and so on here what about imprisoned rich people but not about for instance the corporate. or intimidated article skiis living in the west now and has no serious discussion about what happened to the billions of dollars worth of assets which will laundered out to russia in the ninety's and into western banks into western real estate and so on and one. he gave at his press conference in berlin yesterday on returning to russia was the implication possible suits for coverage of the assets that still are effectively his hands in the hands of his cronies in the us. of a more in court across his first public comments after his release and to get opinion and analysis on his case and surprise pardon head to our web site r.t. dot com. for the calculation to call the design of the world's most

hasn't exactly gone to plan the chinese icebreaker sent to evacuate the russian vessel academics for kosky is now trying to previously an australian icebreaker failed to reach the ship which has been stranded since christmas having to turn because of poor weather conditions china's vessel the suit was then sent to airlift tromped scientists by helicopter but that has barely moved for a day and is awaiting for the weather to improve now and americanised the polar star is currently on route from seattle but when we get there for another week the seventy four scientists scientists tourists and crew aboard are in no danger and all they need to welcome in the new year including enough ice for trying. careful today on your laptop because the latest revelations of n.s.a. spying suggest american spies may be logging every keystroke you make an article in the german magazine planes the agency installs a rigged cables allowing him to see everything displayed on the p.c. monitor is that plugs into multiple disguised bonding devices also allegedly send and receive data using radio waves and surely dav

that for ten years what what has changed the situation and has led to his release is that mr holder koskie did what he had previously consistently said he would not do and that is that he wrote a letter to mr putin asking for a pardon and just to remind you. press conference will be held at twelve g.m.t. and berlin and we will be covering it live on air and online as well at r.t. dot com. at least eighty seven's have been slaughtered in the syrian town of north of damascus after it was raided by radical islam ists some reports put the number of those killed at two hundred r.t. arabic channel went there to talk to why witnesses of the bloodshed. terror still fills the hearts of those who witnessed the militants entering the town about drugs they saw panicked disoriented people running for their lives and they ran themselves they will never forget the despair in the eyes of those who were forced to stay behind we have no reliable way to communicate with the people trapped inside but officials are saying the atrocities against the civilian population are continuing and people are being butche

kosky is the hostages his own cost you can add different t know if the other recognizes with his security forces were doing. automatically become responsible one and i think now he's innocent. the next ep to gain a start talking and look good you can skate could potentially be cut is a further investigation to those matters and assaults the company's security forces carried out. he has no other choice he will continue to insist people from the security department of political prisoners and he will pretend to be pushing for each of his release the isolation think if the bonus topical skin flexible place watching feeling. recall the story is being held. if the company on owning the rest of the vote over coffee this update to the cosmo mikko criminal and that he has looked at stormont of local folk money from the russian people in from the russian state every kind of discipline in the best pool had done the same board tariff also look at the end it and kristen about this story is told in the west. despite his insistence that he was a political prisoner. many in russia believes goals keeper o

anyway in the political goal that you're alluding to would have been achieved anyway so why what of koskie well first of all most vocal who might be kidding because if you look into the amnesty it seems to be the call soviet toil traditional kind of an amnesty. to vulnerable groups of prisoners pregnant women elderly people minors women with small children and so on and so forth and one of the last moment there is a month added on to include into the amnesty a specific list such crimes as hooliganism and moss and i would like to stay on for just one more question his imprisonment imprisonment had a symbolic value it was always presented as a sort of reflection of how bad the human rights to shine in russia supposedly was i wonder if you attach the same symbolism to his release does it mean that let's say political climate in the country may be changing simply because he is being set free while human rights watch is an organisation nullus the case of course symbolizes everything that's wrong with human rights in russia in the uk quite to the office it. it's a very last rites of case and the

looking at some of the cars that spike the fact that her kosky has escaped responsibility on those counts i am convinced he is behind my husband's murder. lupita who was shot dead on his way to work at the hole in your slip or your pilot he walked to work as he usually did and was shot he died from the last chart in the temple. but it does husband was the mayor of his few guns his murder riggin tightly wound with one of the most to tourists legal sagas of the russia case from one thousand nine hundred five giant was based in a few ganske and they'd taxes to the city and the region. by ucas was registered there so when it came to tax revenues it was answering to the mayor of next to your guns but the whole of they depended on him and that was the only reason why he even mattered why did they insist her late husband as a mayor of the town where you guys was registered was approached by the top managers of the company with a look of offer. at first they offered to reach an agreement they called it optimization of taxes back then production reached about seventy million tonnes of oil a year t

right possibly the environment is stefano look i see falling developments now that i'm the concorde kosky has been freed. and these are the latest pictures from outside his family home in the moscow region we've been getting reports that members of his family planned to join him in the name when he arrived on a private jets and here. and the phone cameras are all sick and outside the hotel where he's reportedly stay visa like peaches that from but in the money was all before magellan for minister hans dietrich ginger will come of that building. so these are my pictures right now. and on our teeth now so stay with us for a latex by the biggest attend to go so goes to expose the wrongdoings of governments is often quite difficult for them to find major outlets would be to publicize the truth the geese that were recently being backed by wiki links highlights the struggle bodies are sick adults but to the film's director. it's been described as over two weeks of movement the fall and the journey of a group of which makes associates across central asia. searching for media outlets to help publ

back in february nineteenth one thousand seven hundred koskie became the tram and c.e.o. of the private corporation hugh cause which produced a fifth or russia's or oil he became the country's richest man about six and a half years later he was arrested on fraud charges around that same time linked to the privatization of state assets he was eventually found guilty in may two thousand and five and was given nine years in prison appealed and that sentence reduced by a year in december two thousand and six there was a second case against the former tycoon who was charged with embezzling three hundred and fifty million tons of oil those proceedings also ended with a guilty verdict and an additional fourteen year sentence but the court counted time already served towards that new prison term oh he's an isa now it looks at heart of course he's rise and fall. he may well be one of the most well known prisoners in the world but the idea of a pardon for former russian tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky was unexpected to say the least a four hour q. and a and not one question about fred

an expert on russian german relations alexander ross was one of the first people to greet quote a kosky on german soil speaking to us r.t. he shared his impressions of meeting the former tycoon his face didn't change in the past ten years i haven't seen him for ten years. i think he didn't lose his humor he. he still. in a very strong mood to. i would say i don't know i don't think that he is going to involve in politics but that's my personal opinion i don't but he has a lot to say a lot to tell not necessarily on his life in prison but on his sorts of the future and the present state of russia here i think you seeing yourself already has a kind of philosophy or a second solution eaten who has something to say and the whole lot of people will listen. when mr arar also told us he thinks it was neither a mystery or a surprise that mikhail khodorkovsky chose burnin as his destination. the reason why what of course he came to germany is very simple because his mother is here in hospital she's very very sick and this is not a secret and asked putin to release him because he wants to meet hi

mr also told us he thinks it was not mistreated or surprise in the concorde kosky choose but hayden as his destination the reason why equivocal ticket to germany is very simple because his mother is here in hospital. she's very very sick and this is no secret. and of course he asked would you please him because he wants local meat his mother. before it's too late. and so on i stood up and the mississauga course you will still cute. one of the sun the type of cheese in germany and other issue that's going to germany for pressure but of course she says although with this willie was to meet his big debate team what lies behind this release that the politician pull and pull from the year is give people time to think everybody believes has no hidden agenda in prison pigeons bob the people generally don't do know that we did to that the ibd he was then known as an old regard to it and put on trial in russia and framed it in to chat for about ten years. that is all you know that the people in the west and would have forgotten so quickly what has happened to head up to the subject of the break

and that doesn't spike the fact that hunter kosky has escape responsibility on those counts that i'm convinced he's behind my husband's murder. it wasn't that the hoof was shot dead on his way to work but the whole thing is that for your profile that he walked to work and he usually did and was shot he died from the last shot to mine and the temple. it just doesn't work in new york if you got his money every game tightly wound with one of the most notorious legal sagas of the are shot you can skip the my nine hundred eighty five you were junkies use the guns evade taxes to the city and the region if their combined us was registered then when it came to tax revenues that it was answering to the mayor next to your guns can use that argument with the whole feel they depended on him and that was the only reason why he even mattered. how did they insist her late husband as a mayor of the town this was registered was approached by top managers in complete . i. was there offered to reach an agreement they called it an organization of taxes back then a production reached about seventy millio

the academic show kosky has been immobilized off the coast of antarctica some twenty eight hundred km south of the australian island of tasmania. help is on the way three ships with ice breaking capabilities are trying to reach the stranded research it. the expedition leader believes the chinese icebreaker will arrive first with just a debate on a sock but it's the check in on the revised ten. avoca is making steady progress giving her it's about nine or the law and the vessel so that he said somebody set them up voting for them to do so quite here yet but to at least we can see it now which is so acute that it improved the prospects that few hours ago. all passengers on board including a number of tourists welcome the good news. they help they can head home to friends and family soon. when christmas has come and gone and the coupon on the receipts some unwanted gifts but don't despair because you can catch an entire week gifting your eye news presents. here's how locals lined up for the mild case of jones faces auction well before it opened up a role too keen to get rid of that unwan

anyway and the political goal that you're alluding to would have been achieved anyway so why what of koskie well first of all ms boyko who might be kidding because if you look into the amnesty it seems to be sceptical soviets toile traditional kind of an amnesty touching up for men.

counted time already sat all of this brings us to this week which saw president putin pardon holder koskie ahead of his release on friday his flew to and met his entire family while the media camped outside the five star hotel where he is staying now legal expert and blogger alexander mercury's believes the western attention on the ex oil magnate is out of all proportion in any conflict between the russian government and the businessman is that the act the reflex response of the worst media is to support the businessman beyond that of course mr holder because he had lots of people involved in his business is removed ruled in for investors all sorts of people about god and he was he was russia's richest man and he had connections with the united states you connections with germany so all of these countries all of the people in these countries were involved and of course mr holder because he himself ran a full mentally effective. public relations machine you had lawyers all over the place spokesman all over the place who became involved in spinning you story if you wish. it despite the fact

pas and for all mogilny hail holder koskie says he is now on a mission to help his child a serious kids and their cases until the witnesses and victims say they're rarely get their voices heard in the western media that's just ahead after the break. the siege of st augustine the strategic mission to try. and undercover team of journalists trying to release wiki leaks documents some out there how the united states is trying to. be a local media more pro-american they encounter fear ignorance and pressure. the country blocks the way to information freedom. media stuff on our t.v. . they don't want to tell us all on earth have accepted the fact this is our planet and that we have the right to run it but they're very very concerned that they don't think we're good stewards of our planet we're not we're cutting clear cutting our forests were polluting our rivers and our lakes and we're dumping sewage in the oceans we're doing all sorts of things which are not what good stewards of their old school should be doing and they don't like that and they've made it very clear as a matter of fact thi

that's a thief's places in prison he's accused of stealing tax evasion and fraud from the onset harder koskie supporters claimed he was singled out among other tycoons because of his political ambitions he actively criticised russian politics and finance opposition. hardy's arguably russia's most high profile prisoner cause he has found much support outside russia but within his own country public opinion is mixed i think that most of russian public smeller reckon the activity or all of those people like and that's why i don't think that. the russian broad public unlike liberals for whom he really is a he couldn't find compression news of his pardon and imminent freedom came as something of a surprise for all sides including apparently his lawyers what he decides to do now is the tantalizing unknown whether looking after his sick mother will be enough to keep him occupied. and mikhail khodorkovsky press conference will be held at twelve g.m.t. in berlin and of course we will be covering it live on air and online as well at r.t. dot com. at least eighty civilians have been slaughtered in the s

or a marker and to slow down the process but inside russia there are many questions about whether koskie and the fall of the oil giant yukos the russia will be able to know where is the money all the people who are well russians to of course shakily feel the call of course he got what he deserved the move has been called everything from priya limping p.r. to simple logic and continues to puzzle many in and outside of russia most are waiting to see what mikhail khodorkovsky will do with his freedom in twenty fourteen and beyond. what is just going to help our state here in moscow the new year is just around the corner and do join us in less than three hours time for our special coverage to welcome in twenty forty. i'm an old school kind of guy i like tradition and heritage and all that stuff when i look to the past i see that there's a lot that we could learn from our ancestors however one thing we don't need from them are debtors' prisons which according to a fox news report are somehow on the rise in the united states in the twenty first century the a.c.l.u. and the british center for j