[JURIST Europe] A Russian court in Moscow has ordered that the financial assets of Mikhail Khodorkovsky [MosNews profile] and his business partner Platon Lebedev be seized to pay alleged back taxes and fines for the Yukos oil company. Yukos [corporate website] has been fined nearly &17 billion (USD) as a result of criminal prosecution against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev which resulted in their incarceration for allegedly defrauding sharholders and the Russian government. Khodorkovsky continues to maintain his innocence and has accused the Russian government of trumping up charges against him due to his outspoken opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin [official profile]. The court ruling will also allow the Russian Federal Tax Service to liquidate any real estate and securities owned by the two men to contribute towards the fines. MosNews has local coverage.

D. Wes Rist is Bureau Chief for JURIST Europe, reporting European legal news from a European perspective. He is based in the UK.