03/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU has expressed its concern after Mikhail Khodorkovskii and Platon Lebedev were sentenced to 14 years imprisonment on 30 December 2010. In a statement released on that same day, Catherine Ashton said: “Allegations have been made of irregularities in the proceedings, and these are a matter of serious concern and disappointment to us”. The EU will continue to follow the Khodorkovskii and Lebedev case closely and expects Russia to respect its international commitments on human rights and the rule of law, Ashton stated. (H.B./transl.rt)