Top Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Wednesday condemned Vladimir Putin's "scorched earth politics" as he presented the candidates he is backing for parliamentary elections in Russia later this year. Ex-tycoon Khodorkovsky, who spent a decade in jail after challenging Putin, openly stated his political ambitions in 2014 by announcing he would be ready, if called upon, to lead Russia in times of crisis. Khodorkovsky, who lives in self-imposed exile in Europe, is fielding two dozen candidates in Russia's parliamentary elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, and the Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly in September through his Open Russia foundation.
