The monthly Russian newspaper Top Secret has published chapters from the forthcoming book written by former senior Yukos manager, Vladimir Pereverzin. Pereverzin was imprisoned for over 7 years for his refusal to testify against Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev.  His book, due to be published later this year, summarises his personal experiences of prison.  Top Secret also published an extensive interview with Pereverzin, in which he stated that, “In modern Russia there are no personalities equal in scale to Khodorkovsky, who has seen both wealth and deprivation. That is why so many people associate their own hopes with him, rather than, let’s say, with Mikhail Prokhorov. With every year of captivity Khodorkovsky is gaining ever greater moral authority”.

Below are some short translated excerpts from a chapter of Pereverzin’s book, entitled Hara-kiri, in which he contemplates taking his own life as an escape from the prison colony:

“Knowing what was coming, and without doubting the reality of the threats, I made my decision a long time ago… I wanted to live, but I did not want to withdraw my appeal from the court. What should I do? I needed to make sure that I got out of this much hated prison colony.”

“I made ​​my choice. I was tormented by the thought of what my son would think if my attempt failed, or rather would be too successful. I did not want it to be considered as suicide. My plan had been calculated step by step.”

“I was planning to open my abdominal cavity and spill my guts with the words, “You wanted my blood? Take it, you bastards!””

“Next, I observe everything from the side and from above. I see the astonished faces of orderlies, with their mouths frozen as they shout. They are all hurrying in haste to me, surrounding me from all sides. I had no strength, and, probably, no desire to resist, I could only faintly, with a dry mouth, manage to croak: “Freedom to political prisoners!””

This chapter, and the other published chapters, can be read in full along with an interview with Vladimir Pereverzin here