More charges for ex-Yukos boss

Russian prosecutors are bringing new charges against the former boss of Yukos Oil, Mikhail Khodorkovsky and executive Platon Lebedev, according to their lawyers. These include embezzlement, money laundering and stealing government shares. The sums concerned amount to billions of dollars.

Khodorkovsky's lawyers say the accusations are absurd and groundless and do not differ much from those brought against him in 2007.

Khodorkovsky and Lebedev are both serving eight year sentences in a Siberian prison for fraud and tax evasion.

Some say the imprisonment was partly due to their criticism of the Kremlin and political ambitions.

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