MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) - A Moscow court will announce on November 22 its verdict on Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, charged with embezzling millions of rubles from flagship air carrier Aeroflot, his lawyer said on Monday.
Prosecutors have charged Berezovsky, who currently lives in London, with embezzling over 214 million rubles ($8.3 million) from the Russian air carrier, and laundering more than 16 million rubles ($620,000). The prosecution demands nine years in prison on the charges.
Berezovsky's lawyer said, however, that he had asked the court to acquit his client due to a complete lack of evidence of his guilt.
Last Monday, State Prosecutor Alexander Koblyakov said Berezovsky's guilt of all the alleged crimes had been proven by material presented during the case, as well as by witness testimonies.
London has rejected Russia's repeated requests to extradite Berezovsky, who is also accused of embezzling $13 million from a leading Russian bank, and of plotting to stage a coup in Russia, the two latest cases having been opened in the summer and spring of 2007, respectively.
Berezovsky, who fled Russia six years ago, has repeatedly labeled his trials-in-absentia a "farce".
Eleven probes have so far been launched against Berezovksy, who now goes by the name of Platon Elenin in the United Kingdom, where he has been granted political asylum and citizenship.
