MOSCOW, August 07. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia is set to decide within weeks on whether to challenge the international court verdict demanding $50 billion compensation for former shareholders of oil company Yukos. But uncertainty clouds whether a ban on such an appeal really is a ban, Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov told reporters.

“This ban is not clearly formulated," the minister said, noting a legal grey area that he says may not exclude such a challenge. “We will study these issues as closely as possible.”

Even enforcing such a penalty was beset with complications and fell across several ministry jurisdictions, Konovalov said.

“As for the verdict's execution, this is certainly not only our decision," said the justice chief. "This is a decision taken by the Finance Ministry and several other instances and agencies,” Konovalov added.

The Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in July that Russia should pay compensation to former shareholders seeking redress for Yukos assets taken into Russian state control.