mr. gencher and chancellor merkel. >> rose: there were times in which you could have gotten out earlier, all you had to do was say i'm gillee. >> you know, i didn't try but they offered nobody ever talked about anything with me but i was told publicly many times and once even president putin said this publicly that if khodorkovsky admits his guilt, then we are prepared to quickly and positively examine the question of his release. >> rose: who did he say that to, the press or to someone? >> did you follow up on that, did anybody say what did you mean? or you just simply dismissed that at hand because you would never admit guilt. >> i never even started discussing it. base it-- because it was obvious for me that this is impossible. >> was it clemency or pardon that got you out? because of your mother, as you said, authorities recognized your mother's illness. as a humane thing to do. was it that? or do you think they just want you out of russia? the formal position of the authorities was that it's a humanitarian gesture but it was? >> actually, i think that for the authorities, it was not