MOSCOW, March 1 (Itar-Tass) — Moscow's Tverskoi court will review on the merits, on April 2, former Menatep director Platon Lebedev's damages suit, in connection with his illegal custody from August 17 through November 17, 2010. The date for reviewing the case on the merits was set on Wednesday.
The defense did not lodge any additional petitions. Judge Yevgeny Komissarov asked Lebedev's lawyers to make sure their client gives his written consent by April 2 to have his demand for compensation reviewed in his absence.
Lebedev demands some 183,000 roubles for illegal custody. Under the law, the defendant is the Finance Ministry.
In April 2011, the Russian Supreme Court acknowledged that Lebedev was kept in custody illegally in the designated period, when a second criminal case against him was begin investigated.
The Supreme Court's ruling has no legal consequences for Lebedev, except for the opportunity to demand compensation for moral damage, because at that time, he was also in custody as a person convicted within the first Yukos case.
In February, Lebedev's lawyers lodged another similar complaint, demanding compensation for arrest in the period from May 17 through August 17, 2010. The Supreme Court acknowledge that custody during that period was illegal, too. The date for reviewing the second suit has not been set yet.
On December 30, 2010, Moscow's Khamovniki court sentenced former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky his business associate, former MENTEP director Platon Lebedev to 14 years in prison for theft of oil and money laundering. Lebedev, and Khodorkovsky and their lawyers appealed the ruling.
On May 24, 2011, the Moscow City Court reduced their sentence by one year. The verdict became effective.
The Moscow City Court later turned down their supervisory appeals.
In Moscow, the convicted persons petitioned for parole, as they had already served more than half of their terms. The parole petitions later were turned down.
Khodorkovsky and Lebedev's jail terms expire in 2016.