WARSAW, September 25 - RAPSI. The Nowy Sacz district court in Poland will consider an extension of the detention of former Moscow regional deputy prosecutor Alexander Ignatenko on October 5, a court spokesperson told RIA Novosti.
On June 6 the court extended Ignatenko's arrest until October 9. Ignatenko is awaiting the decision regarding his extradition to Russia.
In May, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights sent a letter to the Justice Ministry stating that the Ignatenko affair may be politically motivated. The foundation advised the ministry to ask for the Russian Investigative Committee to commit to respect Ignatenko's rights if he is extradited to Russia.
In 2011, Ignatenko was named a suspect in the "underground casinos case". He was arrested on January 1 2012 at the Zakopane ski resort. Justice Minister Jaroslaw Gowin is now due to make the final decision regarding Ignatenko's extradition.
The high-profile illegal casino scandal in Moscow Region came to light in 2011 and caused a public uproar. Businessman Ivan Nazarov allegedly operated illegal casinos in 15 towns across the region. According to law enforcement authorities, several high-ranking officials from the prosecutor's offices and the federal Interior Ministry were involved in the operation, which generated between $5 million and $10 million in monthly revenue.