Moscow City Court rejects complaint against extension of Sushchenko custodial term

The Moscow City Court has rejected the complaint against the court's decision to extend the custodial term of illegally detained Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko until June 30.

Lawyer Mark Feygin posted this on his Twitter.

"Moscow City Court rejects complaint against extension of custodial term of Roman Sushchenko," he wrote.

Yesterday, Feygin was not allowed to visit Sushchenko in the Lefortovo remand prison. The lawyer suggested that was reasoned by the "painful reaction of Putin to Poroshenko's commentary on the telephone conversation."

As reported, May 14, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said he had discussed the issue of Ukrainian citizen Sushchenko during his last telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin.

As reported, Ukrinform correspondent in France Roman Sushchenko was arrested in Moscow on September 30, where he arrived on a private visit. He was accused of “espionage”, allegedly being a member of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate denied allegations of the Russian Federal Security Service.

The Russian court ruled at its closed hearing on October 1 to arrest the journalist for two months.

October 7, the Russian Federation officially charged the Ukrainian journalist with spying. Sushchenko denied any guilt.

November 28, the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow extended pre-trial detention term of Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko until January 30, 2017.

January 25, the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow extended pre-trial detention term of Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko until April 30, 2017.

April 26, the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow extended pre-trial detention term of Sushchenko until June 30, 2017.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry confirmed that Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko is not a staff employee of the Defense Intelligence.

Roman Sushchenko works with the Ukrainian National News Agency Ukrinform since 2002 and is agency's own correspondent in France since 2010.

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