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FILE - Russian absorption fig and erstwhile proprietor of the Yukos Oil Company Mikhail Khodorkovsky smiles during a quality league aft the Vilnius Russia Forum astatine the "Esperanza" edifice successful Paunguriai village, Trakai territory westbound of the superior Vilnius, Lithuania, connected Aug. 20, 2021. The Dutch Supreme Court is ruling Friday, Nov. 5, 2021 successful a $50 cardinal ineligible conflict betwixt Russia and erstwhile shareholders of the country's bankrupted lipid elephantine Yukos. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File)

THE HAGUE – The Dutch Supreme Court is ruling Friday successful a $50 cardinal ineligible conflict betwixt Russia and erstwhile shareholders of the country's bankrupted lipid elephantine Yukos.

If the highest Dutch tribunal rules successful favour of the erstwhile shareholders successful the long-running ineligible battle, it volition apt pb them to effort to prehend Russian assets astir the satellite to recoup the $50 cardinal they were awarded successful an arbitration lawsuit — thought to beryllium the world's biggest ever arbitral award.

An planetary sheet of arbitrators concluded successful 2014 that Moscow seized power of Yukos successful 2003 by deliberately crippling the institution with immense taxation claims. The determination was seen arsenic an effort to soundlessness Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a vocal professional of President Vladimir Putin.

Khodorkovsky was arrested astatine gunpoint successful 2003 and spent much than a decennary successful situation arsenic Yukos’ main assets were sold to a state-owned company. Yukos yet went bankrupt.

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The authorities launched “a afloat battle connected Yukos and its beneficial owners successful bid to bankrupt Yukos and due its assets while, astatine the aforesaid time, removing Mr. Khodorkovsky from the governmental arena,” the arbitrators said successful their 2014 ruling.

Moscow appealed the arbitration determination and a Dutch tribunal successful The Hague acceptable speech the ruling successful 2016, saying the arbitration sheet did not person jurisdiction, but an appeals tribunal aboriginal overturned that verdict. Russia appealed again, sending the lawsuit to the Supreme Court.

In April, an autarkic advisor to the Supreme Court recommended that its judges cull Russia's appeal.

Khodorkovsky is not progressive successful the case, which was brought by erstwhile shareholders agreed successful a institution called GML Ltd.

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