MOSCOW, April 3 - RAPSI. The Chelyabinsk Region Commercial Court in Siberia has prohibited the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) from acquiring a 100-percent interest in Australia's Flinders Mines Limited, the steel producer reports on Tuesday.

The court has held so as an interim relief in the lawsuit filed by MMK minority shareholder who believes that the transaction would infringe on his interests as it involves certain financial and operation risks for the works and affect the return on his investments.

Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works ranks among the world's largest steel producers and is the Russian steel sector leader. In 2010 it produced 11.4 million tonnes of crude steel and 10.4 million tonnes of commercial steel products.