The New York Times says he's been sentenced to 10 years, minus 19 months for time already served, ending in 2012.
It would certainly have been better for business if Bush had publicly pressed Putin on Khodorkovsky's case at Moscow's V-E day celebrations, perhaps with a speech at my university there--the Russian State Humanitarian University, founded by Khodorkovsky. Bush's strategy of bloviating in Latvia and Georgia, plus silence in Moscow, now seems weak and cowardly.
The thought of Khodorkovsky rotting in jail for 10 years will no doubt make investors think twice about doing business in Russia. Bush might recover this situation a litte by asking Putin to pardon Khodorkovsky, offering to admit the convicted tycoon to the USA as a political refugee. Putin could strip him of Russian citizenship, a shameful thing to proud Russians, and be rid of a political rival--yet improve the business climate by letting Khodorkovsky go.
