WASHINGTON, July 28 (RIA Novosti) - The next hearing in the case of Roman Seleznev, a Russian national accused by the United States of cyber-fraud, will be held on the island of Guam on July 30, one of Seleznev’s lawyers, Patrick Civille, told RIA Novosti on Monday.
Civille refused to disclose the subject of the hearing. Earlier, the defense and prosecution exchanged a number of petitions to the court. Specifically, the defense requested that the court recognize its lack of jurisdiction in Seleznev’s case and release the accused.
On the same day, the court appointed two new lawyers for the defendant Ely Goldin and Robert Ray, working in the state of New Jersey, as requested by the defense.
Seleznev, a 30-year-old Russian citizen, was arrested on July 5 at an airport in the Maldives. Seleznev was taken to the US island of Guam.
US authorities accused Seleznev of hacking into point-of-sale systems at a number of US shops to steal credit card data from customers. Seleznev faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of bank fraud, while the other charges also carry significant sentences.
Seleznev denies the charges, while his lawyers demand his release and dismissal of the case on the grounds that he had been kidnapped in the Maldives. Such a violation of the law invalidates any court proceedings, according to Seleznev’s legal team.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the incident an unfriendly move by the United States and a de facto kidnapping, while the government of the Maldives promised to review the legal framework leading up to Seleznev’s arrest.
