Khodorkovsky: Putin's most famous enemy

"The rules were applied harder than usual on me," Khodorkovsky said at a press conference this past Sunday in Berlin. The former oil tycoon was in prison for the past ten years. When asked of his future plans, he replied with a twinkle in his eye: "I regained my freedom just 36 hours ago. I haven't had time to make any big plans."

In 1989, Khodorkovsky took the chair of the Commercial Innovation Bank for scientific and technological progress, which was one of modern Russia's first private banks. In 1997, he was CEO of Yukos, one of Russia's largest oil companies, a job that made him a billionaire - but not without controversy.

Along with his wealth, his power and influence grew as well: Khodorkovsky publicly criticized corruption in the country. He financed liberal parties and opposition candidates - much to the displeasure of then President Vladimir Putin. In February 2003, he and Khodorkovsky had a heated televised debate. A few months later, he was arrested.

In June 2004, the first trial of Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev began. Both were sentenced to nine years behind bars in a penal colony for serious fraud and criminal conspiracy . An appeal later saw the sentence reduced to eight years.

Khodorkovsky's empire was effectively destroyed: Yukos was sold little by little and eventually deleted from the commercial register of Russia. Putin adviser Igor Sechin - now head of Rosneft, which bought parts of Yukos - orchestrated the forced sale. Khodorkovsky disappeared in the custody of Russian authorities.

Khodorkovsky was first moved to a prison camp in Krasnokamensk, close to Russia's border with China and Mongolia. In December 2006, he was transferred to a prison in Siberia, where he spent his time working, reading and writing. In response to a fellow prisoner not being given urgent medical treatment, Khodorkovsky went on a hunger strike. After 11 days, he was successful.

The second Khodorkovsky trial, in 2010, was accompanied by demonstrations. His followers protested the initial verdict as politically motivated and fought for his release. But Putin, then prime minister, remained obstinate. Out of the blue, in December 2013, Khodorkovsky was pardoned and released with immediate effect.

After his release, Khodorkovsky arrived in Germany, where he was received by former Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher. For two years, he had fought for the release - together with Khodorkovsky's defense. He led numerous talks, met twice with President Putin and organized Khodorkovsky's emigration to Germany - completely under the radar.

The media interest was immense when Khodorkovsky's whereabouts were made public. TV teams and journalists in the country interrupted their Christmas holidays to cover the story. But Khodorkovsky quickly withdrew to Berlin's high security Adlon Hotel to meet his parents and his eldest son Pavel. On Sunday (22.12.13), he made his first public appearance.

Less political - this is Khodorkovsky's new image. At the press conference in Berlin, he said he did not intend to finance the Russian opposition. He also voiced no desire to enter Russian political life.