Prosecutor's Office wants Khodorkovsky to stay in prison before trial

On March 19 the Basmanny Court in Moscow will consider a request from the General Prosecutor's Office to extend the pretrial incarceration term for Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former CEO of the YUKOS oil company, Genrikh Padva, a lawyer for Khodorkovsky, told RBC. The current incarceration term for Khodorkovsky expires on March 25, 2004.

As reported earlier, on January 15, 2004 the Moscow City Court upheld the decision to extend the pretrial incarceration term for Khodorkovsky until March 25, 2004. Therefore, the court rejected an appeal filed by the magnate's lawyers against the respective verdict of the Basmanny Court.

Khodorkovsky is charged with fraud, incompliance with a court order, tax evasion, falsification of documents and embezzlement. Additionally, the magnate is accused of evading compulsory payments to the Pension Fund.