German Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed today a role played "behind the scenes" by former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher in helping to secure the release of Kremlin critic and Russian ex-oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
"The German government appreciates the efforts of former federal minister Genscher who worked intensively on the case behind the scenes," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.
"He worked successfully on possibilities for a solution with a great level of commitment and the support of the chancellor and the foreign ministry.
