ALDE spokeswoman on Russia Kristiina Ojuland MEP today expressed satisfaction at news of the two-year reduction in the prison sentence of businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky but warned EU leaders at today's EU-Russia summit not to be misled.

She pointed out that the decision was a procedural one reflecting recent changes to Russian sentencing law, and that the court refused to overturn the original verdict - widely seen as an injustice following a politically-motivated trial.

Ms Ojuland, the author of Parliament's recent recommendation for the EU to impose visa restrictions against those responsible for the murder of Sergei Magnitsky, called on EU leaders meeting Vladimir Putin at today's EU-Russia summit not to be unduly swayed by news of Khodorkovsky's sentence change.

She made her comments having returned from a visit to Moscow this week with the Parliament's delegation for relations with Russia.

"This welcome news on the Khodorkovsky case should not be allowed to obscure the profound deterioration in the rule of law in Russia.

"The EU should demand answers about why businessmen like Khodorkovsky continue to be locked up, why journalists continue to be killed and in particular why nothing has been done to bring Sergei Magnitsky's killers to justice.

"EU leaders at the summit need to press Putin on the human rights climate in his country and not focus only on the areas Russia wants to focus on, like trade and visa facilitation.

"In fact we have seen since Russia joined the WTO that it is taking a somewhat selective approach to its obligations so even here the EU needs to express its concerns."