WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today issued the following statement in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to pardon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former oil businessman and prominent critic of Putin.

“I am relieved to hear the news that Mikhail Khodorkovsky will soon be pardoned,” said Wicker, who has been an advocate for Khodorkovsky’s release and a tireless supporter of justice in Russia.  “Mr. Khodorkovsky’s case has long reflected the deteriorating rule of law in Russia under President Vladimir Putin’s oppressive rule.  This pardon does not erase Russia’s abysmal human rights record, but I am hopeful it will pave the way for additional progress.  I thank the international human rights community for their hard work and perseverance to ensure that Mr. Khodorkovsky’s voice was heard despite the Kremlin’s corrupt efforts to silence it.

Khodorkovsky and business partner Platon Lebedev were arrested in 2003 and later convicted of tax evasion, money laundering, and embezzlement.  His trials have been widely criticized for their political motivations and denial of basic due process rights under international law.  Khodorkovsky was set to be released next August.

On Wednesday, Sen. Wicker spoke on the Senate floor about the U.S. delegation to Sochi, Russia. He noted the Olympic delegation would be enhanced by the addition of Americans who have been impacted by Russia’s aggressive posture in Syria and Iran, as well as its ban on the adoption of Russian children by families in the United States.