前石油大亨霍多尔科夫斯基被重新判刑14年。对他的审判被看作对俄罗斯民主的一次考验。辩护律师施密特说，这一判决是俄罗斯总理普京政治压力的结果。他说：“普京向法庭发出信息：今天谁是老板。” 法官丹尼尔金星期四在认定霍多尔科夫斯基盗窃自己公司资产，并将所得洗钱后，对他做出判刑。霍多尔科夫斯基和他的生意伙伴列别捷夫正在服8年刑期的最后一年，他们此前被指控的罪名是欺诈和逃税。列别捷夫星期四也被判同样的刑期。
霍多尔科夫斯基曾经是俄罗斯最富有的人。2003年他向当时的普京总统挑战，并支持势力强大的普京的政治反对派。此后，他的命运急转直下。星期四的判刑包括先前已服刑期，所以霍多尔科夫斯基将继续服刑6年，才能在2017年获释，刑期远远超过普京可能会参选的2012年俄罗斯总统大选。现任俄罗斯总理普京在这次审判前接受公众电话采访时说，一个盗贼应该留在监狱里。
Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, whose trial is seen as a test of Russia’s democracy, has been given a new 14 year prison sentence. Defense lawyer Yury Shmidt said the decision was the result of political pressure from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. As he put it,”Putin signaled to the court today who is the boss.” Judge Viktor Danilkin on Thursday sentenced Khodorkovsky after convicting him of stealing from his own oil company, Yukos, and laundering the proceeds. Khodorkovsky and his business partner, Platon Lebedev, are serving the last year of eight-year prison terms on earlier charges of tax evasion and fraud. Lebedev on Thursday received the same sentence as Khodorkovsky.
Once Russia’s richest man, Khodorkovsky’s fortunes changed in 2003 when he challenged then president Vladimir Putin and supported the powerful politician’s political opponents. Thursday’s sentence includes previous time served, so Khodorkovsky will spend another six years in jail before being eligible to be freed in 2017, well after the 2012 Russian presidential election that Mr. Putin could run in. Mr. Putin, now prime minister, said in a phone-in interview session with the public before the trial that a thief should remain in prison.