Khodorkovsky: Will seek to free political inmates

The comments appeared to quash speculation that Khodorkovsky would take a leading role in the political opposition against Putin, who pardoned him Friday.

Asked whether he planned to take legal action to reclaim the assets of his dismantled Yukos oil company.

“I won't fight for my stake in Yukos,” dpa quoted him as saying.

Khodorkovsky flew on a private jet to Berlin right after his release Friday.

Once Russia's richest man, Khodorkovsky had been imprisoned in 2003 for tax evasion and money-laundering in cases that were widely criticized as political revenge.

Khodorkovsky had challenged Putin's dominance by funding opposition parties and was also believed at the time to have personal political ambitions.