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The Dutch Supreme Court has rejected the Russian appeal regarding seizure and brand names of vodka

The Dutch Supreme Court denied on Friday an appeal from Russia against the seizure by former shareholders of the now-defunct oil company Yukos of the rights to Stolichnaya ad Moskovskaya brand names of vodka for the Benelux Market.

Former shareholders have said that they will now sell the Benelux right to 18 different vodka brands to receive a minimum of $50 billion in arbitration awards Russia has been ordered to pay to them in 2014.

The ruling on brand names comes after a lower court denied an appeal last month by Russia against the arbitral award that Russia has so far refused to pay.

Yukos was seized in 2006 by the Russian state after the oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky had a falling out with Vladimir Putin. The government demanded billions in back taxes, which led to Yukos' collapse.

TASS, the state-run news agency, reported earlier this month that Russia would ask the Dutch Supreme Court for an overturn of the lower court's decision on the arbitration award. (Reporting and editing by Sharon Singleton; Bart Meijer)

(source: Reuters)