Marina Khodorkovskaya Asks West for Help
Speaking at the London debut of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's symphony dedicated to her son at the Royal Albert Hall, Marina Khodorkovskaya believes Russia's authorities are blocking Mikhail Khodorkovsky's release.
In an interview with Reuters, Khodorkovskaya said: "Mr Putin, I think, the idea of his life is to keep him in jail forever. As long as Putin is in power, it (release) will not happen -- unless the West, its leading nations, finds ways of influencing Putin." She also doubted that Dmitry Medvedev would follow through on his promises to liberalize Russia and its judiciary: "I have no hope there will be any loosening-up under the current government of our country."
In Russia, Khodorkovskaya, noted, "people are beginning to ... see him as a leader," adding, however, that her son did not have such wishes. "There are fears that people will start to unite around him... He is holding up well, with a lot of energy. He never complains about anything," she said. "I don't think he has changed. He still believes in what he always believed in."
Pärt, in a statement after the concert, added: "It pains me to realize that the price being paid by Khodorkovsky could turn out to be too high: it may end up costing him his life".