MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2020) The Greek branch of the human rights group Amnesty International has refused to respond to appeals that Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who has been held in a Greek prison for 30 months without any court decision over alleged cybercrimes, is being subject to psychological torture, Vinnik's lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou said.
On Tuesday, Timofey Musatov, another member of Vinnik's legal team, told Sputnik that an appeal has been filed to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. On the same day, Konstantopoulou told journalists at a press conference that similar appeals to the head of the Greek branch of Amnesty International Gabriel Sakellaridis have so far been ignored.
"I have called Mr. Sakellaridis many times, sent reminders to him. I believe that Amnesty International should have intervened, but the Greek branch did nothing," Konstantopoulou, who previously served as president of the Greek parliament in 2015, said.
On January 17, Amnesty International's Media Manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Alexander Artemyev told Sputnik that the Russian branch of the human rights group has not received any appeals from Vinnik's legal team.
Vinnik has been jailed in Greece since July 2017 at the United States' request. While Washington accuses him of breaking US law by setting up a cryptocurrency network, through which he allegedly funneled large sums of money, France has also accused Vinnik of committing cybercrimes and sought his extradition. He is denying all charges.
Last December, Vinnik announced a hunger strike in protest of his treatment in Greece. Musatov told Sputnik that Vinnik has lost 37 Pounds during the period of his hunger strike.
