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Outpouring Tests Russian Leader
The woman worked for Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is also in prison.
(By Denis Gukov -- Associated Press)
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But those who have spoken in favor of a presidential pardon for Bakhmina include prominent actors, writers and journalists, as well as a former deputy chairman of the central bank, at least six members of the Russian legislature and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Perhaps most significant, a handful of politicians and commentators seen as Kremlin loyalists have endorsed the pardon, and the issue has received coverage in Kremlin-controlled news outlets. One prime-time television program broadcast a debate on the subject, though critics say producers hurt Bakhmina's cause by selecting a strident opposition activist to make her case.
At the same time, contradictory statements from government officials suggest indecision or conflict inside the Kremlin. Weeks after one anonymous official was quoted as saying Medvedev was aware of the pardon request and was considering it, the head of the federal penal service, Yuri Kalinin, told reporters that the authorities had not even received a pardon request from Bakhmina.
Last week, the government's position shifted again, with prison officials telling Bakhmina's attorneys that she had revoked her pardon application. The authorities also announced that she had been transferred from the prison hospital to a regular hospital and signed a statement asking people not to bother her.
Roman Golovkin, one of Bakhmina's attorneys, said the defense team had not been able to contact her to clarify the situation. But he said that when he last spoke with her and told her about the outpouring of support, she "was really excited about it, and surprised."
"We thought people had forgotten Svetlana, but recent events show we were wrong," he said. "It means our people are better than we thought."
Researcher Anna Masterova contributed to this report.
