Mikhail Khodorkovsky vs Yoon Suk-yeol

Khodorkovsky, CEO of Yukos oil company, was arrested at gunpoint in Novosibirsk on charges of fraud and tax evasion. The arrest was widely seen as politically motivated due to his funding of opposition parties. Yukos was later dismantled and its assets transferred to state-owned Rosneft.

Khodorkovsky was convicted of fraud and tax evasion and sentenced to nine years in prison. The trial was criticized internationally as politically motivated. He was sent to a penal colony in Chita Oblast, Siberia.

Khodorkovsky was pardoned by President Putin and released from prison after ten years. He immediately flew to Germany. The pardon was seen as a gesture before the 2014 Sochi Olympics, though conditions included not returning to politics.

From exile, Khodorkovsky relaunched the Open Russia movement, a civil society organization promoting democratic values, human rights, and political reform in Russia. The organization was later declared undesirable by Russian authorities.

Yoon Suk-yeol was elected as the 13th President of South Korea in March 2022, defeating Lee Jae-myung. His victory marked a return to conservative leadership after five years of liberal rule under Moon Jae-in.

Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in December 2024, citing threats from North Korea and internal instability. This unprecedented move led to widespread protests, international condemnation, and his subsequent impeachment by the National Assembly.

Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached by the South Korean National Assembly in December 2024 for abuse of power and violation of the constitution through his martial law declaration. He was suspended from office pending a Constitutional Court ruling.