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Dutch court rejects Russia's appeal against $50 bln Yukos payout

A Dutch court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by Russia against a $50 billion arbitration award it was ordered to pay to the former shareholders of nowdefunct oil producer Yukos in 2014.

The judgment followed years of legal wrangling in Dutch courts following the initial arbitration tribunal judgment, that found Moscow had actually violated its global commitments by taking actions developed to bankrupt Yukos, formerly Russia's. largest oil business.

A lower Dutch court dismissed the charge in 2016, only to. see it reimposed on appeal.

Russia then took the case to the Dutch Supreme Court, which. in 2021 referred it back to a lower court, to think about whether. Russia's claim that shareholders supplied incorrect proof was. mistakenly rejected.

The Amsterdam appeals court on Tuesday dismissed this claim,. stating Russia had actually brought it too late.

Even if the claim was thought about, it would not have altered. the decision on the arbitration award, the appeals court said.

Yukos collapsed in 2006 after oil magnate Mikhail. Khodorkovsky fell out with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the. government began requiring billions of dollars in declared back. taxes that resulted in Yukos eventually being seized by the. state.

Exiled billionaire Khodorkovsky invested 10 years in prison. after being founded guilty of tax evasion and fraud, charges he. rejected, and now resides in London. He is not a party to the case.

London's High Court last year denied a claim by Russia to. state immunity suggested to prevent enforcement of the payment.

(source: Reuters)