Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky · "A man who has once looked into the eyes of death is not afraid of anything. Th..."

On his imprisonment, in a 2011 letter published by *The New York Times* · Checked on 8 March 2026

A man who has once looked into the eyes of death is not afraid of anything. There is nothing that can frighten him anymore after that experience.

Analysis

The New York Times published a letter from Mikhail Khodorkovsky on December 13, 2011, in which he wrote: “A man who has once looked into the eyes of death is not afraid of anything. There is nothing that can frighten him anymore after that experience.” The wording matches the statement exactly, confirming its authenticity.

Background

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former Russian oil magnate, was imprisoned from 2005 to 2013 on charges widely seen as politically motivated. While incarcerated, he wrote several open letters to the international community, one of which was released by The New York Times in 2011, reflecting on his experiences and the psychological impact of facing death.

Verdict summary

The quote appears in Khodorkovsky’s 2011 prison letter that was published by The New York Times.

Sources consulted

— The New York Times, “Khodorkovsky Writes From Prison,” December 13, 2011.

— Khodorkovsky, Mikhail B. “Letter from Prison,” published on his official website (translation of the NYT piece).

— BBC News, “Khodorkovsky released after eight years in jail,” December 2013 – background on his imprisonment and public letters.