MOSCOW, July 9 (RAPSI) – Russian Foreign Ministry is taking all steps to prevent the case of detained Russian national Roman Seleznev from developing along the lines of the capers of Viktor Bout and jailed pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, ministry’s human rights rapporteur Konstanin Dolgov told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
Roman Seleznev is currently in detention on Guam, he is being charged with credit card fraud and personal data theft. US authorities claim that Seleznev stole more than 200,000 credit card numbers and sold them for more than $2 million. He is facing up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Seleznev’s family (Russian media report that that Roman is the son of Valery Seleznev, a State Duma lawmaker from the Liberal Democratic Party) claims that he is deprived of qualified legal counsel and access to Russian consulate. The family does not rule out a possibility to file an official kidnapping charge with the Russian Investigative Committee.
The US Secret Service, whose agents detained Seleznev on the Maldives and transported him to Guam, on Tuesday refused to comment on the legal grounds for the arrest. The service’s representative told RIA Novosti that no further comment, apart from those issued, will be made on the case. The representative also refused to confirm whether Seleznev was extradited to the US on court order.
State appointed attorney John Gorman also refused to comment on whether the defense is going to appeal the arrest as unlawful. According to Gorman, the next hearing of the case is scheduled for July 22.
Russian Foreign Ministry called Seleznev’s arrest a “unfriendly act” on part of the US. Foreign Ministry deems arrests and extraditions of Russian nationals in third countries on charges made in the US as unlawful. US authorities, namely Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, made a statement regarding Seleznev’s arrest in which they stated that the individuals suspected of committing crimes in the US will be arrested no matter where they are.
State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki on Tuesday stated that the US does not consider Seleznev’s arrest as unlawful, as he is facing official charges in the US.