Crimean charged with espionage insists on his innocence
MOSCOW. Jan 20 (Interfax) - Arrested resident of Crimea Ivan Yatskin does not admit guilt on charges of high treason and insists he is innocent, lawyer Nikolai Polozov told Interfax.
"Yatskin was charged with high treason in the form of espionage (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code). He does not admit guilt," Polozov said.
Polozov said his client has dual citizenship, both Russian and Ukrainian.
According to investigators, Yatskin collected in Crimea and provided to Ukrainian authorities information constituting a state secret. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Polozov said the case materials are labelled 'secret,' and therefore he cannot give details of the charge or his client's personality. At the same time, Polozov said Yatskin has multiple children and his work "has no relation to the military."
"Yatskin is now in the Lefortovo detention facility. He has a number of illnesses and requires medical assistance, which is an impossible luxury in Russian prisons. In December, the court prolonged his arrest until March," Polozov said.
The lawyer said Yatskin had been detained in Crimea in mid-October 2019, and had been transferred to Moscow.