The following is an exclusive English translation of an article published in German magazine Der Spiegel.

Consequences of Being Candid

Mikhail Khodorkovsky is looking at many years of imprisonment from the second trial as well, unless President Medvedev is serious about the rule of law.

When Mikhail Khodorkovsky was still an oligarch wielding influence and with political ambitions, he received an invitation to the Kremlin, along with the other richest of the rich. On this day in February 2003 a long road of suffering began. This road took him to a penal colony on the Chinese border and might now be lengthened by several years in a second show trial.

In that February meeting a dozen oligarchs sat at an oval table and framed President Putin, their president, who wanted to push back the political influence of the magnates and strengthen the state. The TV cameras were rolling and broadcast every word.