The Prosecutor General’s Office asks to extend the term of detention of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev

The General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation (RF) appealed to the Chita court with a request to extend the term of detention of the ex-head of the Yukos Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the head of the International Financial Association (MFI) Menatep Lebedev in the investigative insulator of Chita.

"The petition of the Prosecutor General’s Office to extend Khodorkovsky will be examined on April 3," Interfax quoted Yuri Schmidt's lawyer.

Also, Lebedev’s lawyer Elena Lipzer said that a similar petition of the Prosecutor General’s Office regarding her client will be considered by the court on April 4.

The term of the detention of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev expires on April 7, and therefore the prosecutor's office asks them to extend the preventive measure. On February 7, the district court in Chita left the ex-head of the Yukos NK and the head of the MFI Menatep in custody in the pre-trial detention center.

Recall that the former Yukos leaders were transferred to Chita in mid -December 2006 for investigative actions. Prior to that, they served an eight -year term of imprisonment in the colonies.

Meanwhile, on March 20, the Basmanny Court of Moscow recognized the preliminary investigation in the new case in relation to Khodorkovsky and Lebedev in Chita illegal. However, the Prosecutor General's Office appealed this decision. It should be noted that the court decision took place after the lawyers of the ex-head of the Yukos turned "to all people of goodwill" with a request to help to achieve their client from Chita to Moscow and hold a new trial there.

On February 5, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation brought new charges to Khodorkovsky and Lebedev. They are charged with Article 160 (theft by appropriation), Article 174 (legalization (laundering) of funds) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Khodorkovsky’s lawyer Yuri Schmidt previously said that theft of about 23-25 ​​billion dollars is charged with his client. Commenting on this amount, the lawyer said that his client was charged with theft of all oil, obtained over 6 years by subsidiaries of Yukos. According to the defender, the reason for the incorporation of new accusations is that it is necessary to exclude even the theoretical possibility of Khodorkovsky to be released on the eve of parliamentary and presidential elections, as well as deprive the meaning of his complaint by the European Court of Human Rights.

The Prosecutor General’s Office later announced the completion of the investigation of the new criminal case, after which the lawyers began to get acquainted with the case materials.