Contrary to reports that have already appeared in the Russian press, the Basmanny district court in Moscow did NOT today reach a decision as regards the investigation into the new charges against Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev. It is due to consider the renewed complaint by the defence teams of both men against the legality of holding the investigation in Chita but not until Tuesday, 29 January.

In March 2007 the Basmanny district court upheld the complaint of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev’s defence attorneys and declared that conducting the investigation in Chita would be unlawful. The Prosecutor General's office appealed against that ruling but it was upheld, successively, by the Moscow City Court and the presidium of the Moscow City Court. Only on 25 December 2007 did the Supreme Court overturn the decision and return the issue to the Basmanny court, where it will be re-examined next week.