Jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky will be pardoned, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday in a surprise decision that will let his top foe and Russia's formerly richest man out of prison after more than a decade. The move, along with an amnesty for the two jailed members of the Pussy Riot punk band and the 30-member crew of a Greenpeace protest ship, appears designed to assuage international criticism of Russia's rights record ahead of February's Winter Olympics in Sochi, Putin's pet project, AP reported. Putin waited until just after his tightly choreographed annual news conference to make the announcement, dropping the biggest news of the day after journalists had already peppered him with questions, including one about Khodorkovsky, in a four-hour marathon. Putin said Khodorkovsky, who was set to be released next August, had submitted an appeal for pardon, something he had refused to do before. "He has spent more than 10 years behind bars. It's a tough punishment," Putin said. "He's citing humanitarian aspects - his mother is ill. A decree to pardon him will be signed shortly." The head of the Kremlin's United Russia faction said he expects Khodorkovsky to celebrate the New Year at home with his family. Khodorkovsky's son, Pavel, tweeted: "Very happy news. Waiting to speak with my father to learn more." Putin's announcement "came as a big surprise for me, totally out of the blue," Khodorkovsky's mother told RT television. -- SPA 19:42 LOCAL TIME 16:42 GMT تغريد
