Moscow court to read verdict on former oil tycoon

A Moscow court is expected Monday to begin announcing the verdict in the second trial of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a case some see as a bellwether of Russia's political future.Once the country's richest man, now its most prominent prisoner, Khodorkovsky, 47, is already serving an eight-year sentence for fraud.But with his release scheduled for next year, Khodorkovsky is now on trial on charges of money laundering and embezzlement that could see the head of the now-defunct Yukos oil giant stay in jail until 2017.

A court will Wednesday begin announcing the verdict in the second trial of Russia's ex-richest man Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a case watched globally as a critical moment in its post-Soviet history.Khodorkovsky, already serving an eight-year sentence for tax evasion, is on trial on new charges of money laundering and embezzlement that could see the head of the now defunct Yukos oil giant receive another heavy jail term.

A Moscow court on Monday found jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky guilty in his second trial on charges of embezzlement, Russian news agencies reported.The court found Khodorkovsky and his co-accused Platon Lebedev guilty of embezzlement, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported. They had been charged with embezzling 218 million tonnes of oil.Only a handful of reporters were allowed into the courtroom for the verdict and judge Viktor Danilkin then requested even those journalists to leave as the rest of the verdict was read out.

A Moscow court on Monday found jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky guilty in his second trial on charges of embezzlement, Russian news agencies reported.The court found Khodorkovsky and his co-accused Platon Lebedev guilty of embezzlement, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported. They had been charged with embezzling 218 million tonnes of oil.Only a handful of reporters were allowed into the courtroom for the verdict and judge Viktor Danilkin then requested even those journalists to leave as the rest of the verdict was read out.

Russia's former richest man Mikhail Khodorkovsky was Tuesday to appeal his conviction in a second fraud trial that sparked global condemnation and will keep him in jail until 2017.The appeal will by heard by the Moscow City Court Tuesday morning, its spokeswoman Anna Usacheva told Russian news agencies.Khodorkovsky, who built up Yukos into Russia's biggest oil firm before it was broken up by the state, was in December found guilty of money laundering and embezzlement on top of his first 2005 tax evasion conviction.

Russia's fallen oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Tuesday called on President Dmitry Medvedev to make good on his promises on the rule of law, speaking in court as he appeals his latest conviction.Russia's former richest man and now its most famous prisoner, Khodorkovsky made his plea as he was appealing his conviction in a second fraud trial that sparked global condemnation and will likely keep him in jail until 2017.

A Moscow court found tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky guilty in his second fraud trial, provoking condemnation from the West over a case seen as an indicator of Russia's political future.Khodorkovsky and co-accused Platon Lebedev were convicted of embezzlement and money laundering, said judge Viktor Danilkin, dashing the hopes of Russian liberals that the trial would show a new approach from Russian courts.The United States led some stinging Western reaction, with the White House saying it was "deeply concerned" about the "selective application of justice".