MOSCOW, September 14 (RIA Novosti) - A lawyer of Platon Lebedev, the head of Yukos' core shareholder Menatep group, said she was shocked when her client had been taken to court for the opening of appeal hearings on the conviction that sent Lebedev and Mikhail Khodorkovsky to prison for nine years.
Elena Liptser said her client had refused months ago to personally appear during the procedings.
On May 31, the Meshchansky Court sentenced former Yukos CEO Khodorkovsky and Lebedev after they were found guilty of fraud, failure to comply with a court ruling and personal income and corporate tax evasion. Andrei Krainov, also indicted for involvement, was given a 5-year suspended sentence.
On June 9, lawyers for Khodorkovsky and Lebedev filed an appeal against all charges with the Moscow City Court, but later Lebedev said he would refuse to attend the appeal hearings.
