http://observers.france24.com/en/category/tags/mikhail-khodorkovsky The taxonomy view with a depth of 0. en http://observers.france24.com/en/content/20080208-kremlin%E2%80%99-%E2%80%98pet-democrat%E2%80%99-tells-us-how-he-became-presidential-candidate <p> As the ruckus of the American primaries rambles on, the less noisy wheels of the Russian presidential elections are also in motion. While four applicants were accepted as candidates, the People's Democratic Union leader and former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov - a known rival of Putin- was declined for having forged 13% of the two million required signatures. The only supposedly ‘different' candidate who managed to get through the rigid process was Andrei Bogdanov, little known leader of the little known Russian Democratic Party. A former member of Putin's ruling United Russia Party, and hoping for 3.5% of the vote ‘if lucky'; the candidate doesn't offer much competition. However, the Putin fan denies being a stooge for the president. Our Observer for Russia spoke to him about why he, and not Kasyanov, managed to become a candidate. </p> http://observers.france24.com/en/content/20080208-kremlin%E2%80%99-%E2%80%98pet-democrat%E2%80%99-tells-us-how-he-became-presidential-candidate#comments election Mikhail Khodorkovsky Russia Vladimir Putin Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:25:10 +0100 Julien 8109 at http://observers.france24.com http://observers.france24.com/en/content/20080130-putin-other-prisoner <p> Thirty-five year old Vasiliy Aleksanyan is a former executive for the Russian oil giant Yukos, which the Russian government has been persecuting for the past few years. Aleksanyan also served as acting Vice President for 6 days before he was arrested. Like his previous boss the oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, he was accused of tax evasion and money laundering. For the past two years he has been awaiting trial in prison. Aleksanyan is dying of AIDS, but the authorities refuse to allow him to be hospitalised. He says that the prosecution offered to free him if he testified against former heads of Yukos. Well-known antagonists of Putin's Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev are already serving prison sentences. </p> <p> Despite a decision by the European Court of Human Rights to hospitalise Vasiliy Aleksanyan in November last year, the Russian Supreme Court declared on 22 January that he would remain in prison. According to his lawyer, Aleksanyan could soon be facing a death sentence if he doesn't receive aid. <br /> </p> http://observers.france24.com/en/content/20080130-putin-other-prisoner#comments video Mikhail Khodorkovsky Platon Lebedev Russia Vladimir Putin Yukos Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:07:32 +0100 Julien 6909 at http://observers.france24.com