PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2020) The French liberty and custody judge decided to keep Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who had been held in Greece since 2017 and is wanted by the United States and France on money laundering charges, in custody, Vinnik's lawyer Timofey Musatov said.
"The judge made the decision, which was drafted in advance, fully supported the prosecutor, while noting that he was keeping [Vinnik] in custody for the duration of the investigation for his own safety and in order to satisfy the future investigation," Musatov said.
The lawyer added that there would be ten days to appeal this decision.
Vinnik was detained in Greece in 2017 at the request of the United States, which accuses him of laundering $4 billion worth of funds through a cryptocurrency trading platform. France also filed charges against Vinnik, however, his lawyer claimed that it was only a ploy to have him extradited to the US. Russia has submitted a separate extradition request. Vinnik has denied committing any criminal or administrative offenses.
