MOSCOW, March 23 - RAPSI. The defense has challenged the five-year sentence of Russian businessman Alexei Kozlov, who was found guilty of fraud, his attorney Yuri Kostanov told the Russian Legal Information Agency.

Kozlov's case has been one of the most high-profile in Russia in recent years. He and his wife journalist Olga Romanova claim he was framed. They managed to secure the reversal of the sentence in the Supreme Court.

"We have just filed an appeal against the sentence with the Moscow Presnensky District Court. I have asked the court to cancel the judgment and terminate the proceedings," Kostanov said. The attorney seeks to close the case as he believes Kozlov has not committed any crimes.

The court will later submit the appeal to the Moscow City Court for consideration.

Investigators maintain that Kozlov and his accomplices used fake documents and sham companies to steal 626,000 shares in a company producing imitation leather and films.

Many legal activists and opposition politicians were outraged with the sentence. The Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights does not rule out that his wife will interfere in the case. Romanova is actively participating in opposition protests.