Russia defends justice of former oil tycoon's conviction

Russia defends justice of former oil tycoon's conviction: "Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday defended again the convictions of former oil tycoons Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev.

Lavrov said the judiciary system is completely independent from outside influences.

'They (the courts) are independent from Russian and other foreign governments,' Lavrov said, adding that 'opinions from abroad should not and can not impact the depictions adopted by judicial bodies.'

'If anyone is extremely concerned over the verdict, then I would like to remind them that anyone who is sentenced has the right to an appeal according to law, which, according to reports from the media, Khodorkovsky and Lebedev's lawyers have already made,' he said.

On Tuesday, the foreign ministry criticized the attempts of several Western countries to exert pressure on criminal cases concerning former tycoons, saying the attempts were 'unacceptable.'

Also Friday, local media reported that the lawyers of the two tycoons had sent a short appeal to the Khamovnichesky Court."

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