Jailed former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky walked out of prison on Friday after 10 years behind bars.
Khodorkovsky was arrested in 2003 on tax evasion charges widely seen as punishment for challenging Vladimir Putin.
Putin unexpectedly announced on Thursday that he planned to pardon Khodorkovsky. The move is seen as an attempt to sanitize Russia's image ahead of February's Sochi Olympics.
The decree, published on the Kremlin's website on Friday, said Putin was pardoning him for humanitarian reasons.
By Friday afternoon, prison officials said Khodorkovsky had left Russia for Germany.
Khodorkovsky's spokespeople released this photo of him after landing in Berlin. It is the first image of him in freedom in 10 years.
He released this statement in Russian:
Dear friends,
On Nov. 12, I asked the president of Russia with a request for a pardon for family reasons and am glad for the positive decision.
The question of recognizing guilt was not raised.
I want to thank everyone who for all these years followed the Yukos case and for the support that you gave me, my family and everyone who was unjustly imprisoned and continue to be investigated. I can't wait for the moment when I can hug those close to me and personally shake the hands of all my friends and colleagues."
Translated by Miriam Elder.