Russian oil magnate Mr Mikhail Khodorkovsky was denied bail by a Moscow court today and ordered to remain in prison pending an investigation into charges of fraud and tax evasion.
The ruling was issued at the end of a closed court hearing at which Mr Khorokovsky, former chief executive of YUKOS , appeared briefly by video link, answering questions confidently. It was the first time he had been seen in public since his arrest on October 25th.