Yukos trial must wait for verdict

Supporters of the jailed businessman have staged protests

A Russian judge has once again adjourned in the middle of giving her verdict on tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, on trial for tax evasion and fraud.

A final verdict on the seven counts will not now be revealed until Wednesday at the earliest.

Mr Khodorkovsky, founder and ex-boss of the Yukos oil firm, is widely predicted to be found guilty.

Mr Khodorkovsky faces up to 10 years in jail, and has branded the charges as trumped up to "plunder" Yukos.

'Political trial'

His lawyers have argued that political pressures played a big part in Mr Khodorkovsky's arrest and trial.

"It is clear that the verdict is guilty," said defence lawyer Yuri Schmidt outside the court on Monday.

He said the judge was "completely following the conclusions of the prosecution".

Essentially the trial itself was not a trial... This is state-sanctioned theft Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer for Mr Khodorkovsky Yukos trial fuels Moscow tension

Mr Khodorkovsky has always proclaimed his innocence and has refused to ask the court for leniency.

Whatever the eventual verdicts in this case, Mr Khodorkovsky can expect to fight another legal battle soon.

Prosecutors said on Friday that he would face new charges of money laundering "to the tune of billions of roubles".

The new charges will also be brought against Platon Lebedev, who is Mr Khodorkovsky's business associate and co-accused in the tax fraud case.

Many analysts say the current trial is politically motivated and that Mr Khodorkovsky is being punished for his political ambition.

Before he was arrested by Russian authorities in October 2003, he had angered the Kremlin by starting to fund opposition political parties.

Mr Khodorkovsky (left) and Mr Lebedev will face fresh charges

"Essentially the trial itself was not a trial, the investigation was not an investigation. This is state-sanctioned theft," said another member of his defence team, Robert Amsterdam, speaking on BBC Radio's Today Programme on Monday.

He said Mr Khodorkovsky's lawyers are planning to appeal and may look outside Russia to "other courts and other jurisdictions".

Kremlin push

President Putin recently tried to reassure foreign investors who were unnerved by Mr Khodorkovsky's arrest, and by the forced auction of Yukos' main production unit to settle tax bills in a string of separate cases against his former company.

Mr Putin's annual state-of-the-nation speech defended state ownership in sensitive sectors of the economy, whilst promising clearer ground rules for investors.

Mr Khodorkovsky has been in prison since October 2003 and during that time, the state has pursued Yukos for $27.5bn (£15bn) in back taxes.

When Yukos could not pay this last year, its main oil producing subsidiary Yuganskneftegas was forcibly sold off, ending up in the hands of Russian state oil firm Rosneft.

Rosneft is now suing Yukos - on behalf of Yugansk - for a total of $13bn in unpaid taxes, unpaid oil supplies and lost profits.

On Friday, a Moscow court upheld a $2.2bn claim by Rosneft against Yukos for not paying Yugansk for certain oil supplies.

Some commentators believe Rosneft may push for Yukos to go into bankruptcy as a precursor to enabling the Kremlin to take control of Yukos' remaining assets.