TEL AVIV, February 2 (RIA Novosti) - An Israeli journalist appealed Thursday to the highest judicial authority in the country to investigate the legality of granting Israeli citizenship to an exiled Russian tycoon and Israel's refusal to extradite him to Russia.

"We ask the Supreme Court to instruct the legal advisor to the government, the Prosecutor's Office and the Justice Ministry to answer why they have not yet taken action on the inquiry of Russian law enforcement authorities about [former Yukos co-owner] Leonid Nevzlin," Yuli Nudelman said.

Nevzlin, who currently resides in Israel, was charged in absentia with tax fraud and involvement in a number of contract murders and was put on the international wanted list July 21, 2004. Two days later, Moscow's Basmanny Court sanctioned his arrest.

The second part of Nudelman's appeal questions the legality of granting Israeli citizenship to Nevzlin.

"We ask that the Supreme Court instruct our Interior Ministry to answer why he [Nevzlin] was granted citizenship and why it has not yet been revoked," the journalist said.

Russian-language website www.newsru.co.il earlier posted a statement disseminated by Nevzlin's press service explaining the political nature of the accusations against Nevzlin, listing his merits in charitable activities and questioning the reasons behind Nudelman's campaign to extradite the former Yukos co-owner to Russia.

In response to these statements, Nudelman, who is well known for his books exposing notorious emigres from the Soviet Union, said the appeal was the result of a year-long journalistic investigation into Nevzlin's case.