MOSCOW, December 30 (RIA Novosti) - Terminally ill ex-Yukos official Vasily Aleksanyan has been released at 50 million ruble ($1.8 million) bail, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

"Guards have been removed from Aleksanyan's hospital room an hour ago," Yelena Lvova told RIA Novosti.

The Moscow City Court ordered on December 8 that Aleksanyan be released as soon as the money is received.

Aleksanyan said earlier in a statement, "The court's decision to set bail at such an unbelievable sum instead of granting an unconditional release appears to be a cynical travesty of the law and of good sense."

Aleksanyan, 36, diagnosed with AIDS and cancer, is accused of embezzling about $330 million from former Yukos production unit Tomskneft and shares worth $493 million from other oil companies, as well as laundering stolen assets.

The last time the court set bail at such a high sum was for Vasily Boiko, who was released after being arrested on charges of illegally purchasing nine agricultural enterprises in the Moscow Region to implement an ambitious luxury housing project.