MOSCOW, December 27 (RAPSI, Maria Petrova) – On January 23, the Russian Supreme Court will consider supervisory appeals against the sentence handed down to ex-YUKOS CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev in the second case, Khodorkovsky’s press center reported Friday.

On Wednesday, Lebedev filed an application seeking a reconsideration of the first of two cases that had brought about Khodorkovsky's decade-long prison sentence. The application has been filed in light of the findings of a recent judgment by the European Court of Human Rights, (ECHR) which found certain violations in the proceedings.

The court will consider all of these issues on January 23.

In 2005, Khodorkovsky and Lebedev were sentenced to eight years in prison for fraud and tax evasion. The second trial commenced in March 2009 and concluded with a guilty verdict in December 2010. The Khamovnichesky District Court of Moscow sentenced both men to 14 years in prison for oil theft and money laundering.

Later the Moscow City Court reduced their sentences by one year each. Then last year, the Moscow City Court reduced the sentence again from 13 to 11 years. In August the Supreme Court held that the sentences of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev should be lowered to 10 years and 10 months, thus partially satisfying their requests on supervisory appeal.

Khodorkovsky was released December 20 from serving out his sentence further as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree pardoning him.
According to the chairman of the Russian Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev, supervisory appeals against the partners’ sentences may be considered with reference to developments in the Russian legislation. He said that a new law on lighter punishment provided for business crimes may apply to Khodorkovsky and Lebedev.