Court prolongs arrest of Estonian national suspected of spying in Russia

A court in Russia’s north-western Pskov region has extended the custody for Estonian citizen Eston Kohver suspected of espionage until August 4, 2015. The first court hearing is scheduled for June 8, press officer of the Pskov regional court Yuliya Pron told TASS on Tuesday.

"The court has extended the custody for Kohver who is accused of spying until August 4. The first court hearing is scheduled for June 8," she said. The court spokeswoman added that this and all subsequent trials will be closed, but the media will be informed about the beginning of court hearings and on the day the judgment will be delivered.
The Estonian national is accused of espionage (Article 276 of Russia’s Criminal Code), smuggling weapons (Part 1, Article 226), illegal border crossing (Part 1 Article 322, nine crimes) and the illegal bearing of arms (Part 1 Article 222).

Kohver has remained in custody for nearly nine months. He was transferred from Moscow to Pskov on June 1 and attended the hearing.

Kohver, an officer from the Estonian Interior Ministry’s security police department, was detained in Russia’s north-western Pskov region on September 5, 2014, for allegedly carrying out an undercover operation on the territory of Russia.

The Russian Federal Security Service reported at that time that a handgun, €5,000 in cash, special covert audio recording equipment and materials indicative of a spying mission were confiscated from Kohver, when he was detained.

Estonian authorities insist that Kohver was abducted by Russian law enforcers on the territory of Estonia and then was transferred across the borderline into Russia’s Pskov Region.