Court considers Khodorkovsky guilty

The judge reading out the lengthy verdict in oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s fraud and tax evasion trial today said the court considers his guilt to be proven.

Guilt “is confirmed by the material of the case and by the evidence of witnesses”, Judge Irina Kolesnikova said. However, the report said Kolesnikova’s statement did not constitute the final verdict for Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev.

The reported statement by the judge appeared to leave only the sentence in doubt.

Prosecutors have asked for the maximum 10-year sentence, but there was wide speculation that the court would impose a lesser sentence in the politically sensitive case.

One of Khodorkovsky’s lawyers, Genrikh Padva, said phrasings in the verdict, which was being read aloud, “give hope for a softer sentence”.