CHITA, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - The Chita district court in East Siberia rejected on Thursday an appeal by lawyers of jailed Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky against a ruling of another local court.

The Ingoda district court on August 1 refused to consider electronic databases of the now defunct Yukos company as evidence, on the grounds that electronic documents might easily be destroyed. In addition, the court dismissed claims that a secret investigation had been carried out against the Yukos founder as "untenable."

"The decision of the court of first instance was found to be legitimate and valid," the judge said. "The lawyers' cassation appeal was dismissed."

Khodorkovsky is serving an eight-year jail term for fraud and tax evasion. In early July, Russian prosecutors brought new charges against him of laundering $28.3 billion and stealing oil between 1998 and 2004.

The board of the Chita District Court in East Siberia has earlier rejected an appeal against a lower court decision to deny parole to Khodorkovsky.