Category Nation/CIS
Source RIA Novosti

MOSCOW — A Moscow court has upheld a decision to prolong the arrest of former nuclear power minister Yevgeny Adamov, now held in a Swiss prison, until October 8.

The court turned down the appeal filed by Adamov's lawyer, Timofei Gridnev, who had insisted the arrest was illegal.

On August 1, Moscow's Basmanny Court made the decision, at a meeting not attended by the defendant, to prolong his confinement until October 8.

"Extending confinement in the defendant's absence is illegal," Gridnev said, adding that it was only allowable if documents verifying that the defendant could not attend were presented to the court.

However, Gridnev said, prosecutors did not provide such documents from the Swiss Federal Department of Justice.

Basmanny Court issued an arrest warrant on May 14 for Adamov who had been arrested in Switzerland on U.S. misappropriation charges.

Adamov, Russia's Nuclear Power Minister in 1998-2001, was arrested in Berne on May 2 on the United States' request. Adamov, 66, has been held in a Berne prison since that time.

The United States accused Adamov and his business partner, U.S. citizen Mark Kaushansky, of misappropriating $9 million allocated for Russia's nuclear safety projects.

On June 24, 2005, the U.S requested that Switzerland extradite Adamov, who faces up to 60 years in jail and $1.75 million in fines in the U.S.

Russia then opened a criminal case against Adamov on charges of fraud and abuse of office, issued an arrest warrant, and also filed an extradition request.

In late August, Adamov agreed to a simpler procedure of extradition to Russia and said he wanted to stand trial on the U.S. charges in Russia.

It is up to the Swiss Federal Department of Justice to decide which of the countries will get Adamov.