Russian magazine, The New Times, has published Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s latest Prison’s People column; ‘The Rat’.

The column tells the story of incidents of theft in the colony, conducted by inmates, nicknamed “rats.” Khodorkovsky draws a parallel with numerous incidents of people in Russia buying up assets and properties. He believes that the Russian political regime is becoming a “gang of greedy, evil rats”:

“In the evening [in the prison block – Ed.], the debate flares up – why did he do it? It would be impossible to eat all that. The discovery of the stealing is inevitable. And he is not even hungry, we always shared everything. When he asked for something – we never denied. Is he a kleptomaniac? Doesn’t seem like it. A mystery…

However, looking at the current situation in our country, such mysteries happen regularly. They steal and steal. To buy islands and giant uncomfortable villas, to build dozens of palaces and flotillas, to stuff garages with luxurious cars, having nowhere to drive, and chests with jewellery that must be shameful to wear. As if they are going to live forever. As if they really do not understand that all this would not be possible to hide nor to explain by any salary.”

Read the original story in full in Russian here.

Russian magazine, The New Times, has published Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s latest Prison’s People column; ‘The Rat’.

The column tells the story of incidents of theft in the colony, conducted by inmates, nicknamed “rats.”  Khodorkovsky draws a parallel with numerous incidents of people in Russia buying up assets and properties. (more…)