Moscow judge reduces sentences for ex-CEOs

MOSCOW, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The head of the Moscow City Court Thursday reduced the prison sentences for two company heads convicted for theft of oil and money laundering to 11 years.

The sentence reductions for former Yukos Chief Executive Officer Mikhail Khodorkovsky and former director of Menatep Platon Lebedev were made to bring them into accordance with sentencing guidelines. The law envisions lesser penalties for a number of penal code articles, ITAR-Tass reported.

Both men's sentences were cut short by one year, nine months.

The court head denied defense lawyers' motions to either drop the criminal case or release Khodorkovsky and Lebedev for time served.

Lebedev will be set free in August 2014 and Khodorkovsky, October 2014.