ARKHANGELSK, January 23 - RAPSI. The Velsk District Court of the Arkhangelsk Region on Wednesday dismissed former Menatep head and partner of Mikahil Khodorkovsky Platon Lebedev's appeal of his sentence during its third review.

Last fall, the Velsk court mitigated Lebedev's sentence from 13 to 10 years. But his lawyers hold that this was not sufficient. They argue that Lebedev should have been released following the recent amendments to legislation. The prosecutors, however, believe that the Velsk court, where the second hearing of the case was held, adopted an excessively mild decision.

The Velsk court held a third hearing after its first two rulings in the case suited neither party and were returned for review by the Arkhangelsk Regional Court.

On Wednesday, the Velsk District Prosecutor's Office requested the dismissal of the case, based on the ruling of the Moscow City Court. The Velsk court ruled in favor of the proposal, because no new arguments had been provided to justify the mitigation of Lebedev's sentence. The lawyers will be able to appeal this decision in the Arkhangelsk Regional Court.

Lebedev's lawyers did not attend the third hearing, which the judge held in the presence of the court secretary, a representative of the prosecutor's office and three journalists.

Former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky is serving his sentence in the Segezha prison in the republic of Karelia, while Lebedev is serving his time in the Velsk prison in the Arkhangelsk Region.