Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday pardoned a man on a list of 32 people whom opposition activists consider political prisoners, but gave no clue whether he might free others in his last two weeks in the Kremlin. Medvedev, who will be replaced as president by Vladimir Putin on May 7, signed a decree pardoning Sergei Mokhnatkin, 58, and 13 others. The Kremlin said on its website that the decision was "guided by the principles of humanity". None of the others pardoned was on the list of 32 "political prisoners", including former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, submitted to Medvedev in February by opposition politicians who had demanded their release during large street protests. Mokhnatkin was sentenced to 2-1/2 years in prison on charges of violence against a police officer during an opposition rally in December 2009. He denied the charges, saying he had been defending a woman and not even attending the rally.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/04/23/uk-russia-medvedev-pardon-idUKBRE83M0Z420120423
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