You're reading: Tymoshenko: Khodorkovsky’s release gives world strong intellectual moral warrior

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has welcomed the release of former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

“I welcome the acquisition of freedom by Mikhail Khodorkovsky. This is a benchmark and long-awaited event for many people in the world,” reads Tymoshenko’s public letter to Khodorkovsky, which was published on the Web site of the Batkivschyna party on Tuesday.

The former prime minister said that she understood some of his emotions: “Political prisoners, as well as people who have experienced clinical death, have experienced very similar feelings beyond reality and returned changed from there, with deviations from the dominant social goals and norms, which are incomprehensible to many.”

She believes that Khodorkovsky has no euphoria about the newly found physical freedom. “While behind bars, the political prisoners, due to unknown laws produce such amount of inner freedom that it can fill the world thrice,” Tymoshenko said.

“And the main thing, and I firmly believe in this, is that Mikhail Khodorkovsky has received a special inspiration to try to make the world less violent and more just to many. No doubt that he has long outgrown the sheer passion of collecting banknotes. And like many others, I believe that the release of Mikhail Khodorkovsky has given the world a strong intellectual moral warrior, who along with others will be able to bring the humanity a little bit closer to love and compassion,” Tymoshenko said.

“Dear Mikhail, be free and successful in this path,” the ex-premier wrote.

Earlier, Khodorkovsky wished Tymoshenko to be released as soon as possible and expressed the hope that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych will pardon her.