MOSCOW, February 1 - RAPSI. Defense attorneys for former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky believes that Moscow City Court Chairperson Olga Yegorova has just ignored the amendments mitigating punishment for economic crimes, reads the statement by Vadim Klyuvgant, posted on Khodorkovsky's press center website.

The attorney reminded that the amendments made to the Criminal Code in December 2011, reduce the maximum punishment for money laundering from 10 to 7-year imprisonment.

Additionally, commenting on Yegorova's refusal to satisfy the appeal the attorney expressed his astonishment over her arguments on the stolen oil appraisal.

Klyuvgant said that Yegorova has failed to provide any facts, especially a thorough analysis of our arguments, which were just called "not well-grounded" and "unconfirmed". He also stressed that Khodorkovsky and Lebev's attorneys have not yet received the official text of the ruling, that's why his arguments are based on the press-service's materials.

The Moscow City Court believes that the court has correctly established actual circumstances of the YUKOS case and properly assessed Khodorkovsky's actions.

The YUKOS case has been one of the most high profile in Russia in recent years. In the early 2000s, the authorities accused the executives of YUKOS, then the country's largest oil company, of embezzlement and tax evasion. In 2005, the court sentenced Khorkovsky and his codefendant, former Menatep head Platon Lebedev to eight years in prison. Many in the West believe the case against YUKOS was politically driven, but Moscow flatly denies the charges.