Russian court sentences exiled oligarch Khodorkovsky to 10 years in prison in absentia
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A Russian court sentenced former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky to 10 years in prison in absentia, according to the Russian exile news website Meduza. The verdict was announced without Khodorkovsky present, as he lives in exile in Britain. Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man and head of the Yukos oil company, was previously imprisoned for a decade until 2013 on charges widely viewed as politically motivated punishment for challenging President Vladimir Putin's authority. He fled Russia after his release and has since become a prominent critic of the Putin regime from his London base, supporting opposition movements and pro-democracy initiatives.