Mikhail Khodorkovsky, center, and his co-defendant Platon Lebedev, right, are escorted to a court room in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Dec. 27, 2010. The judge on Monday declared former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky guilty of theft and money laundering charges in his second trial, Russian news agencies reported, a verdict that would likely keep Russia's once richest man behind bars for several more years.Sergey Ponomarev/AP
Canada has added its voice to the growing international criticism over the second conviction of a jailed Russian oil tycoon.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said this week's conviction of Mikhail Khodorkovsky was a "worrying signal" about the rule of law in Russia.
Mr. Cannon said Canada was troubled by the "alleged lack of a judicial system that operates independently of the Russian government."
Mr. Khodorkovsky, once seen as a challenger to Vladimir Putin early in his presidency, was already serving a sentence for tax evasion when he was convicted at a second trial for embezzlement.
The Obama administration and European leaders have also criticized the case as a worrying development.
Russia's foreign ministry has fired back at Western critics, saying they should butt out of its affairs.