Court leaves Vyshinsky in custody until Jan 27

The Kherson Court of Appeal at a hearing on Monday upheld a Kherson City Court ruling of December 27, 2018, regarding the detention of a suspect in the high treason case, chief of RIA Novosti Ukraine Kirill Vyshinsky, until January 27, 2019, the court of appeal's press secretary, Iryna Lehka, has told an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The ruling of the Kherson City Court has been left unchanged. It means that Vyshinsky will remain in custody until January 27," she said .

The Kherson City Court at a session on December 27, 2018 extended the term of custody for Vyshinsky until January 27, 2019. At the same time, the prosecutor's office asked the court to extend Vyshinsky's term of detention for 50 days - until February 16, 2019. The prosecutor's office explained this by the need to complete some examinations in this case.

On May 15, 2018, the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Ukraine's SBU Security Service, as part of criminal proceedings on Russia's unleashing the aggressive war in the information sphere in Ukraine and a high treason case, conducted searches in the premises of the editorial office of the RIA Novosti Ukraine news agency, as well as in the homes of persons who organized and ensured its activities. The investigation helped obtain evidence that the information posted on RIA Novosti Ukraine's website contained appeals aimed at undermining the sovereignty, territorial integrity and integrity of Ukraine, state and information security. Editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti Ukraine, Kirill Vyshinsky, was declared a high treason suspect and detained.

Vyshinsky faces up to 15 years in prison if he is found guilty. He denies all accusations.