MOSCOW, December 20 (RIA Novosti) – Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has flown to Germany after being released from jail on a presidential pardon, Russia’s prison authorities said Friday.
“On his release Khodorkovsky made a personal request about collecting the documents to go abroad. After being freed he flew to Germany, where his mother is being treated,” a spokesperson for Russia’s prison service said.
The Kremlin said earlier on Friday that a pardon for Khodorkovsky had been granted on humanitarian grounds, and would be implemented immediately.
President Vladimir Putin said he had decided to sign the pardon on Thursday after a request for clemency from Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man, citing his mother’s deteriorating health.
The former tycoon’s mother, Marina Khodorkovskaya, said Friday that she did not know her son's whereabouts and was unable to take in the news of his release.
“I have not yet really processed it fully,” Khodorkovskaya told Russian television channel Rossiya 24. “I didn’t expect it, yesterday was just a day of shock.”
Khodorkovsky’s lawyers said they had been informed of his release by prison officials, but did not know his current whereabouts.
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