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Court refuses to summon Moscow mayor as witness in Yukos case

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MOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) - The Moscow City Court refused on Monday to summon the city mayor and other high-profile witnesses in the case of former Yukos shareholder Leonid Nevzlin, charged with organizing murders and attempted murders.

The billionaire fled to Israel in 2003 after the arrest of several officials of the now bankrupt oil company, including founder and CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is currently serving an eight-year prison term in Siberia.

In rejecting a request from Nevzlin's defense lawyers, the court said the witnesses would only delay the trial without providing any significant information.

The witnesses include Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, Nizny Novgorod Governor Valery Shantsev, and Khodorkovsky.

Investigators claim that between 1998 and 2002, members of an organized criminal group headed by Nevzlin killed, among others, businesswoman Valentina Korneyeva and the mayor of the Siberian oil town of Neftyugansk, Yury Petukhov.

Prosecutors said Nevzlin was also behind several attempted murders. He has denied all charges, saying the case against him is political. Russia has been pressing Israel to extradite Nevzlin.

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