mr. genshcer and angela merkel. >> there were times you could've come out earlier. all you had to do was say, i am guilty. >> they offered. nobody ever talked about anything with me. i was told publicly many times and wants even president putin said it publicly that if mikhail khodorkovsky admits his guilt, we will positively examine the question of his release. >> who did he say that to? did you follow up on that? did you simply dismiss that at hand because you would never admit guilt? >> i never even started discussing it. >> was its clemency or pardon that got you out? if your mother, authorities recognize your mother's illness. was it the humane thing to do that or did they want you out of russia? >> it was a humanitarian gesture. actually, i think that for the authorities, it was not very acceptable to release me after the end of my term. scott free without obligations and yet they were not comfortable with starting up a third case because the society, nobody in society was looking at this as something just and fair anymore. in this situation when, on the in th