Khodorkovsky appeals against sentence

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, former proprietor of the Yukos petroleum major, made a cassation appeal on all points of his sentence, Heinrich Padva, one of his lawyers, said to RIA Novosti.

"Our client is appealing to the Moscow City Court to abrogate his sentence as unlawful and non-substantiated, and to fully acquit him as innocent of the crimes he was convicted for.

"I have not been authorized for now to comment the appeal. He will, most probably, make an official statement."

The appeal presents "Khodorkovsky's opinion of his sentence". That was the only detail the lawyer offered.

The defense is insisting on Khodorkovsky's prosecution stopped, he added.

The Meshchansky district court of Moscow sentenced Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, Menatep financial holding CEO, to nine years general-security imprisonment each, May 31. The verdict of "guilty" concerned violation of six clauses of the penal code of the Russian Federation.