MOSCOW, March 25 (UPI) -- The former security chief of Russian oil giant Yukos has been convicted of murder and attempted murder by a Russian court.
The conviction of Alexei Pichugin is the first among the former Yukos executives held in Russia, including the firm's former head, Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Pichugin was accused of carrying out the murders for Leonid Nevzlin, a key figure in Yukos' largest shareholder, the BBC said, His lawyers have indicated they will appeal.
Nevzlin is now living in exile in Israel.
Critics of the Russian government have said Khodorkovsky's arrest and the subsequent seizure of Yukos main assets were motivated by President Vladimir Putin's irritation at Khodorkovsky's involvement in politics.
But, Russia maintained that it seized the asset because of back taxes owed by Yukos.
