Moscow, 3 December 2003 (RFE/RL) -- A Moscow court today upheld a lower court's ruling dismissing an appeal by jailed security chief Aleksei Pichugin of the Russian oil giant Yukos. Pichugin had argued in his appeal that his detention on murder charges is illegal because of procedural errors.
His attorney Oleg Soloviev told the Interfax news agency after the ruling that Pichugin now has every legal reason to turn to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Pichugin, who is accused of organizing an assassination attempt on a senior Moscow city hall official and a double murder, has been in jail since late June.
A district court in October rejected a complaint lodged by his lawyers alleging a number of procedural violations, including the use of psychotropic drugs during questioning in the absence of his lawyers.
His attorney Oleg Soloviev told the Interfax news agency after the ruling that Pichugin now has every legal reason to turn to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Pichugin, who is accused of organizing an assassination attempt on a senior Moscow city hall official and a double murder, has been in jail since late June.
A district court in October rejected a complaint lodged by his lawyers alleging a number of procedural violations, including the use of psychotropic drugs during questioning in the absence of his lawyers.