In May 2005, Moscow’s Meshchansky Court found Lebedev and Khodorkovsky guilty under several articles of the Russian Criminal Code, including fraud and tax evasion and sentenced them to nine years in prison. Later the Moscow City Court reduced the term to eight years.

On December 30, 2010, the Khamovnichesky District Court sentenced Lebedev and Khodorkovsky to 14 years in prison for oil theft and money laundering in a second criminal case.

Their sentences were later reduced to 11 years by the Moscow City Court presidium, while the Supreme Court cut the prison terms further by two months.

Lebedev is to be set free in May 2014 and Khodorkovsky in August 2014.

Putin told the Thursday news conference that he didn't know the details of the third case against Yukos. He said he did not see any prospects in this sense and that he did not understand that kind of case that might be. "I don't see anything dangerous for anyone there,” he said.

Well-informed sources later told Itar-Tass Tass that Khodorkovsky and Lebedev were not suspects in the so-called third case against Yukos.

December 19, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he intended to sign a decree on pardoning Khodorkovsky.

December 20, the Kremlin press service reported that Vladimir Putin has signed the pardoning decree. Later on the day, Khodorkovsky’s lawyer Karina Moskalenko said that her client might be released before the end of the same day.