Russian national Yevgeniy Nikulin, accused by US authorities of hacking social networks, will have his psychiatric evaluation hearing on October 9, defense lawyer Arkady Bukh told Sputnik on Thursday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2018) Russian national Yevgeniy Nikulin, accused by US authorities of hacking social networks, will have his psychiatric evaluation hearing on October 9, defense lawyer Arkady Bukh told Sputnik on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Bukh told Sputnik that they submitted a petition for psychiatric evaluation which the judge granted.
"It [the hearing] is set for October 9," Bukh said. "Based on psychiatrists report the judge will rule whether Nikulin is capable or incapable to stand trial."
The judge ordered a psychiatrist that was certified and approved by the court to examine Nikulin, Bukh said.
The lawyer said he anticipated that preliminary exchanges with the psychiatrist will be finished in the beginning of October.
In 2016, Nikulin was arrested in the Czech Republic on a US warrant for allegedly hacking into computers belonging to LinkedIn, Dropbox and the Formspring online services. Czech authorities extradited Nikulin to the United States on March 29. Nikulin pleaded not guilty to the chages.
Russian authorities, who charged Nikulin with internet fraud in 2009, requested his extradition on the same day as the United States, but the Czech Justice Ministry granted the US request. Russia's Foreign Ministry said Moscow was outraged by the decision of the Czech authorities to extradite Nikulin to the United States.
