US Court Rules to Free Russian Actress Charged With Kidnapping Until 20 March

23:40 GMT, 1 February 2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A US court ruled to release Russian national Irina Usok, who has been detained on charges of kidnapping, from custody until the next hearing in her case which is planned to be held on 20 March, the Russian consulate general in New York said.

Sputnik

According to Russia’s Consul-General in New York Sergei Ovsiannikov, Usok was detained on 18 January and has been accused by the New Jersey authorities of charge of obstruction of guardianship, particularly removing her daughter from the United States without notifying the biological father about it.

"According to New Jersey attorneys, at 03:00 p.m. [20:00 GMT] today, February 1, 2019, a court ruled to release Russian national Irina Usok from custody until the next hearing in her case, scheduled for March 20, 2019", the consulate general wrote on Facebook on Friday.

"The issue of organizing her meeting with her daughter is being currently worked on. We are exerting special control over the situation for providing consular assistance [in the case]", the diplomats added.

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The authorities kept Usok at the Rikers Island Prison Complex until 31 January and then transferred her to the Ocean County Jail in New Jersey, according to the Russian consulate general in New York. The diplomats have explained that a private lawyer is defending Usok, who is facing a possible sentence of several years in prison if convicted.

Usok is a famous movie and theater actress in Russia and the father of her child is a US citizen. The Consulate General has noted that Russian diplomats visited Usok several times and attended a court hearing on her case.