Putin 'to pardon' jailed former oil tycoon Khodorkovsky

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will soon pardon jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Mr Putin said he had received a request from Khodorkovsky - in custody for a decade - to pardon him on humanitarian grounds as his mother is ill.

Khodorkovsky, 50, and fellow defendant Platon Lebedev were convicted of stealing oil and laundering money in 2010.

They were already serving time for tax evasion.