[JURIST] A appeals hearing for Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky [JURIST news archive; defense website] was delayed again Thursday after his lawyer asked for more time to prepare, saying he had been unable to meet with Khodorkovsky in prison before Thursday's hearing. Hearings in Khodorkovsky's appeal of his conviction for fraud and tax evasion had previously been rescheduled [JURIST report] because his main lawyer Genrikh Padva was too sick to appear and three other lawyers on Khodorkovsky's defense team declined to defend him. Prosecutors have accused Khodorkovsky of intentionally delaying the appeals process in order to ensure his eligibility for a planned bid for parliament [JURIST report] in the upcoming December election. Khodorkovsky is only eligible to run while his case is under appeal or if his conviction is overturned. Meanwhile, his attorneys have said the court is trying to stop Khodorkovsky from registering for the election. BBC News has more. From Moscow, MosNews has local coverage.