MOSCOW, November 6 (RAPSI) -The Moscow City Court on Wednesday upheld the decision to arrest Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner in absentia on charges of abuse of power, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

Prosecutors consider that Baumgertner's arrest in absentia is legal, a spokesperson of the prosecutor's office said during the hearing. The court thus dismissed an appeal filed by the lawyers of Baumgertner. They asked to replace the house arrest with less restrictive preventive measures.

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus received the request for extradition of Uralkali CEO, RIA Novosti reported earlier on Wednesday.

Baumgertner was detained in Minsk on August 26. According to the Belarusian authorities, the criminal case against him was launched as the result of a probe into abuse of power allegations that led to grave damage to the public interests of Belarus, and damages to the company Belarusian Potash.

The charges followed a July decision by Uralkali to dissolve its international cartel with Belaruskali, sending potash prices spiraling down. Baumgertner remains in Minsk since he was placed under house arrest in September.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said that Baumgertner might be extradited to Russia if he covers the alleged losses.

A criminal investigation into the chief executive of the world's largest potash producer was opened in Russia on October 15. On October 21, Moscow's Basmanny District court issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Baumgertner.