MOSCOW, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A Moscow court has agreed with prosecutors and will keep a former Yukos oil executive in prison until his Dec. 2 trial date.
The Basmanny Court Thursday ruled former Yukos Vice President Vasily Alexanyan was a flight risk and might have intimidated witnesses in denying his attorney's request to be let out of jail.
His attorney, Gevorg Dangyan, said the health of the former executive of the now bankrupt oil company will continue to decline.
"The defendant's health has sharply deteriorated, he is losing his eyesight and cannot get proper medical assistance in pretrial detention," he said.
Alexanyan is charged with theft and money laundering for an alleged $460 million embezzled from the company and laundered.
He could face up to 15 years in prison, The Russia Journal reports.
He was arrested April 7.
