Sobchak speaks for political prisoners

Moscow : A 35-year-old Russian celebrity TV host who wants to become a presidential candidate opened her first news conference on Tuesday by demanding the release of all political prisoners. Ksenia Sobchak announced her presidential bid last week, arguing that Russia has grown tired of its current political elite.

Critics said Sobchak’s run would further fragment the opposition while lending the March election a veneer of legitimacy. Sobchak is the daughter of President Vladimir Putin’s mentor, former St Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak.

Her mother is a lawmaker at the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament. She first became known as a fashionable socialite before launching a successful TV career.