Russian oil tycoon jailed for 9 years

Oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, was today jailed for nine years after the most politically-charged court case in the country's recent history.

Khodorkovsky, 41, was found guilty of fraud when he took over companies including the Yukos oil giant during privatisations in the Yeltsin era. His supporters say the charges came after he spoke out against President Vladimir Putin and funded rival politicians. Yukos said the sentence was a "travesty of justice". The company faces a ?15billion tax claim.

Khodorkovsky and his partner Platon Lebedev, also jailed for nine years, were convicted of defrauding the government of ?540million.