Strasbourg, January 22 2013: Pavel Khodorkovsky, President of the Institute of Modern Russia(IMR), opened a display of photographic portraits selected from the IMR’s exhibition by photographer Kirill Nikitenko “Russian Visionaries: Into the Light” at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg today. The original exhibition featured the words and images of 54 Russian thought leaders, including Pavel’s father Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Seventeen portraits from the exhibition will be shown at PACE over the coming week, showcasing those prominent Russians, who despite serious personal risks, have been courageous and outspoken in articulating their vision of a better future for Russia.

The exhibition is taking place under the patronage of the Norwegian delegation to PACE. It has previously been shown in New York, Paris and Moscow. Opening the exhibition in front of an audience of parliamentarians from across Europe, Pavel spoke of his motivations for bringing it to Strasbourg. “I wanted to help amplify the voices of these distinguished individuals,” he said. “I wanted to help share their feelings and sentiments with the wider world. I wanted to challenge the Kremlin’s belief in its ownership of Russia’s future.”

Speaking about his father, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Pavel reminded the audience that this October will mark ten years since his arrest. He said that: “Beneath the trumped up charges and legal abuses lies the following truth: that my father is in prison precisely because of his vision – because he dared to dream of a different Russia. Where he saw corruption he demanded transparency. Where he saw political repression and domination he advocated openness and plurality. Where he saw human rights abuses he called for dignity. Where he saw legal abuses he championed the rule of law. Where he saw a failure of government welfare he stepped in as a philanthropist. And despite a decade of injustice his commitment to his values and his vision remains as strong as it has ever been, if not stronger.”

Other personalities featured in the project include Alexey Navalny, a leading opposition activist who is also now being prosecuted by the Russian authorities; Lyudmila Alexeyeva, founding member of the Moscow Helsinki Group and 2009 winner of the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize; and Boris Nemtsov, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and prominent opposition leader. The exhibition also includes Yuri Schmidt, the legendary Russian human rights lawyer who defended Mikhail Khodorkovsky and recently passed away. Paying tribute to him, Pavel described him as “one of Russia’s most brilliant minds and a pillar of my father’s legal defence.”

During his two-day visit to Strasbourg, Pavel will also be raising concerns about the continuing deterioration of the rule of law in Russia and updating members of PACE about the injustice of his father’s case, which has become emblematic of the state of human rights in Russia today. PACE, which brings together parliamentarians from all 47 member states of the Council of Europe including Russia, has frequently expressed its concern in recent years both about the imprisonment of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the systemic problems related to the rule of law and human rights in Russia.

Closing his remarks to parliamentarians, Pavel Khodorkovsky expressed his hope in a future for Russia based on genuine democracy, human rights and the rule of law and the wish that, “the Parliamentary Assembly maintains and increases scrutiny of the deteriorating situation in Russia – not for me, and not for my father – but for all Russians who look to Strasbourg as a symbol of hope in dark times.”