European court rules Khodorkovsky's rights abused in Russia trial

MOSCOW, July 25 (UPI) -- The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday the trial of former Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky wasn't political, but his rights were violated.

Khodorkovsky's lawyers argued the charges against their client -- tax evasion -- were trumped up to keep him from contributing to the political campaigns of liberals opposing then-President Vladimir Putin in 2003, the BBC reported.

Khodorkovsky was sentenced to eight years in prison for large-scale tax evasion and fraud, and in 2010 he was convicted of stealing oil from his own company, Yukos.

The ECHR awarded Khodorkovsky $13,200 in damages for several violations of his rights during the 2003 trial, the government-supported RIA Novosti reported. The court said his rights were breached because he was sent to prison far from Moscow and because his lawyers were prevented from bringing in their own experts as witnesses in the case.

Ultimately, though, the ECHR ruled the trial against Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev was legitimate, RIA Novosti reported.

Khodorkovsky's lawyer, Karinna Moskalenko said that the ECHR's ruling proved her client didn't receive a fair trial.

"The judgment that the trial was not fair -- and the fact that Khodorkovsky and Lebedev served eight years in prison on the basis of an unfair trial -- necessitates the release of both men without further delay," she said in a statement.

Khodorkovsky is expected to be released from jail in 2016.