US, EU leaders criticize Russian court’s ruling on Khodorkovsky

U.S. and European leaders have criticized a Russian court's decision to find jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner, Platon Lebedev, guilty of embezzlement and money laundering.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday said the new charges against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev raise serious questions “about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations” in Russia.

Both defendants have denied the charges, saying they were being punished for supporting opposition candidates and critics of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was president at the time of Khodorkovsky's 2003 arrest.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called Monday's verdict “a step backward” for Russia's democracy. Britain's Foreign Office and the European Union both issued statements calling on Moscow to respect the rule of law.

Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, and Lebedev were accused of embezzling oil and laundering $27 billion in proceeds during a six-year period. They have yet to be sentenced on the new charges.