The judge in the trial of Russian oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky retired to consider her verdict today and said she would announce her decision on April 27th.
Mr Khodorkovsky, founder of oil company Yukos, is accused of tax evasion and fraud. Prosecutors in the 10-month-long trial have asked Judge Irina Kolesnikova to hand down the maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.
Mr Khodorkovsky's trial and a $27.5 billion back-tax claim that has crippled Yukos are seen by many observers as part of a Kremlin campaign to punish him for his political ambitions and restore state control over key sectors of the economy.