Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky spent his first full day as a free man in the German capital reconnecting with his eldest son and his parents, whom he had not seen during the 10 years he spent in prison in Russia. But even as he recovered in a luxury hotel on Saturday, Mr. Khodorkovsky began planning how to use his newfound freedom, holding meetings with German officials and organizing his first public appearance. One day after he touched down in Berlin following a decision by the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, to pardon him for his crimes, Mr. Khodorkovsky, 50, stayed clear of the knot of cameras and reporters who had gathered outside the Adlon Hotel, desperate for a glimpse of the man who came to symbolize Mr. Putin’s authoritarian reach and intolerance of political critics.Khodorkovsky: a journey beyond hatred
In a whirlwind release granted less than 24 hours after his surprise pardon by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Khodorkovsky left prison colony No. 7 in the remote town of Segezha, in north-western Russia, minutes after the reprieve was published on the Kremlin's website.
