Nemtsov Feels Medvedev Wants to "Pardon Someone"
Boris Nemtsov, one of the leaders of Russia's Solidarity movement, is on the whole satisfied with Monday's meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev and feels that the head of state may even pardon some political prisoners reports Interfax. Speaking to Interfax after the meeting, Nemtsov said:
"I gave him a list of 37 political prisoners and pronounced some of the names, including Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. I suggested that they be pardoned. I cannot assert anything, but Medvedev's reaction made me feel that he decided to pardon someone."
The opposition has its own program of political reforms, he said, adding that he had handed Medvedev the demands of the opposition rallies. Nemtsov proposed a constitutional change barring any individual from holding more than two consecutive terms as president.
"Everyone was surprised to hear the president say that he had long been thinking it over and that it seemed correct to him," he said. Interfax notes Nemtsov said there was also an "unpleasant moment when we called for a new election to the State Duma and the president balked."