Khodorkovsky’s mother tells the France Presse news agency of her son’s thoughts and feelings.

Marina Filippovna, mother of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, talks about her most recent visit to her son on August 15 in Chita’s pre-trial detention facility (Eastern Siberia). The former head of Russian oil giant Yukos is “taking things in his stride”. He “reads a lot” and is “writing political articles”, says the soft-spoken, 72-year-old former engineer.

- How did you find him?

- All things considered, he’s in physically good shape. As for his state of mind, it’s wonderful the way he takes things in his stride. At the first trial, he says, he still took it all seriously and thought he could prove his innocence. Now he realizes that no one needs his testimony. Until those running the country are replaced he will not be released. So he has calmed down.

He says he could now live anywhere, and adjust to any conditions. He has books, which is crucial for him. Nobody can forbid him to think and reflect. “Over recent years when I was involved in business I had no time to think about anything else,” he told me. “Now I have the time and opportunity and, it turns out, there are lots of other interesting things out there. I did not have a background in humanities: now I’m making up for it.”

- Has he changed much during his four years of imprisonment?

- He’s become much gentler but he hasn’t given way to despondency. Quite the contrary. He said to me: “Under certain circumstances some people manage to retain their dignity and others do not’.

- Has he been following the fate of Yukos? Is he preparing for the new trial?

- Yesterday he told me, “Everything I achieved has been preserved. The oil pipelines are functioning, the refineries continue to operate and the technology, which I raised to an international standard, is still in place. Rosneft is taking on our employees. It’s a backward company but now our employees are implanting my ideas there. My ideas are thriving.

After the first trial ended he thought that common sense would prevail. In October this year he will have served half of his prison term and, in accordance with the Russian laws, would be eligible for early release. But the authorities didn’t want that to happen. That’s why the second trial was set in motion.

(Agence France Presse, 19.08.2007)