MOSCOW, December 21- RAPSI. Former YUKOS head Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison for oil theft and money laundering, submitted to Moscow City Court Chairman Olga Yegorova an appeal to eliminate red tape, his press center reports.

The YUKOS case has been one of the most high-profile cases in Russia in recent years. In early 2000, the Russian authorities cracked down on YUKOS management for alleged financial crimes. At the time, YUKOS was Russia's largest oil company. YUKOS later went bankrupt and its assets were appropriated by the state-owned Rosneft.

In 2005, Khodorkovsky and former Menatep head Platon Lebedev were sentenced to eight years in prison. In late 2010, a Moscow district court sentenced Khodorkovsky and Lebedev to 14 years in prison for oil theft and money laundering. They were expected to be released in 2017, taking into account the time they had served for their convictions from their first trial in 2005. However, on May 24, the Moscow City Court reduced their sentences by one year. The two now may be released in 2016.

In his appeal, Khodorkovsky's attorney Vadim Klyuvgant said the judge refused on November 14 to satisfy his supervisory appeal to overturn the Khamovnichesky District Court's sentence and cease the second criminal case against Khodorkovsky due to the absence of criminal acts.

According to Moscow City Court employees, a copy of the courts resolution and the defense's attachments to the supervisory appeal were to be sent to Klyuvgant on November 15.

He added that the documents never him.

Klyuvgant also said the court employees could not officially confirm that the documents were sent over or where they are now.

The attorney has asked the chairman to eliminate the red tape resulting in the violation of the defendant's rights and to take all necessary measures to search for the documents or restore them.