Members of the European Parliament have demanded Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s immediate and unconditional release as he marks ten years in prison today.

Sir Graham Watson, president of the European alliance of liberal parties, ALDE, made a speech at a parliamentary session in Strasbourg this week, telling MEPs that the current political repression and deterioration of the rule of law in Russia makes Khodorkovsky’s vision more important than ever.

Sir Graham also joined former Belgian prime minister and current leader of the ALDE group in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt, and former Estonian foreign minister Kristiina Ojuland, now ALDE Russia spokesperson, in issuing a statement paying tribute to Khodorkovsky’s courage and example.

“Khodorkovsky’s arrest ten years ago this week was really the start of Kremlin’s efforts to crush dissent and eliminate political rivals. Since then we have seen a steady and alarming decline in democratic standards and civil liberties in Russia. Hopefully, this is the last “anniversary” that Khodorkovsky will face in prison,” Mr Verhofstadt said.

The centre-right EPP group, the largest in the European Parliament, issued a statement by German MEP Elmar Brok, chairman of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, and Lithuanian MEP Laima Andrikienė, who attended Khodorkovsky’s second trial.

“Russia can only create a prosperous, safe and stable society with opportunity for all if it respects the rule of law. Mikhail Khodorkovsky has become a stark reminder for a system that threatens those who speak out, and a symbol for a Russia that blocks its own future“, said Mr Brok.

Meanwhile, two leading figures from the Green group issued a statement of solidarity with Khodorkovsky. German MEP Barbara Lochbihler, chair of the European Parliament’s human rightys committee and formerly a senior figure in Amnesty International – which has declared Khodorkovsky a prisoner of conscience – joined compatriot Werner Schulz, who nominated Khodorkovsky for this year’s Sakharov Prize, to express hope that Khodorkovsky will be promptly released and rehabilitated.

“Mikhail Khodorkovsky cannot be broken. On the contrary, much like Solzhenitsyn and Sakharov, bars and barbed wire have not weakened its commitment to a democratic and social Russia,” said Mr Schulz.