Khodorkovsky stays in prison.(News)

Former Yukos chief executive Mikhail Khodorkovsky was refused bail by a Moscow court on 11 November at a closed hearing during which he appeared by video link from his cell.

The prosecutor general's office wants to detain the leading shareholder of Russia's biggest oil firm until 30 December at the earliest. And deputy prosecutor Vladimir Kolesnikov this week suggested that Khodorkovsky could be held for up to two years while prosecutors compile their case.

The judge acceded to the prosecutor's request for a closed hearing on the grounds of supposed risks that could arise if Khodorkovsky's "associates" were present in the courtroom. Investment bank UFG says …